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Language of Elfen Lied opening?


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Ro-zu



Joined: 28 Oct 2005
Posts: 20
Location: Neverwhere
PostPosted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:02 pm Reply with quote
Does anyone happen to know what language the opening song for Elfen Lied is in? It doesn't seem like Japanese to me, it seems more like Latin but I don't know Latin so I can't be certain.

Thanks in advance.
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abunai
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Joined: 05 Mar 2004
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:34 pm Reply with quote
Yes, it's Latin. A bit of "sampling" from the Vulgate Bible, with a few other phrases tossed in for good measure...

- abunai
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Ro-zu



Joined: 28 Oct 2005
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Location: Neverwhere
PostPosted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:52 pm Reply with quote
Okay, thanks again.
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dormcat
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Joined: 08 Dec 2003
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Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
PostPosted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 9:22 pm Reply with quote
In fact, the printing press had made quite a few mistakes, apparently during the procedure when they transliterate hand-written lyrics to typesetting.

For example, the original Latin was:

Quoniam cum probatus fuerit accipiet coronam vitae
(For at trial he shall receive the crown of life. James 1:12)

If you listen carefully and/or read the lyrics printed on the OST, it has become:

Quoniqm cum probatus fuerit accipiet coronam vitae Anime dazed

Someone mistook the handwritten letter "a" to "q". Looks like no one (singer and production staff) had noticed this error. I remember there was at least another typo....
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SirWence



Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 107
Location: North of Boston, MA
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 2:57 am Reply with quote
Well, in my humble opinion this is one of the best Anime Intro Songs I have had the pleasure of hearing. Go Latin
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hentai4me



Joined: 25 Oct 2005
Posts: 1313
Location: England. Robin is so Cute!
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 2:58 am Reply with quote
wow, a single letters difference!!

its that kind of perfectionism that annoys me, without knowing beforehand the error I would not have picked up on it because I dont listen that closely and what makes the song good is the beautiful voice using a beautiful language, nto what is being said per se btu the sounds of what is being said, if the words mattered that much she could just speak them normally and get the same effect which clearly they wouldnt.

I speak some rudimentary latin from being raised catholic.
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TF



Joined: 09 Nov 2003
Posts: 354
Location: Belgium
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:02 am Reply with quote
it' latin, but i never thought a latin song could sound so good Very Happy
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 08 Dec 2003
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Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:22 am Reply with quote
hentai4me wrote:
its that kind of perfectionism that annoys me

Why, thank you, Doctor.
Live long and prosper.
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SirWence



Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 107
Location: North of Boston, MA
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:42 am Reply with quote
hentai4me wrote:
wow, a single letters difference!!


1 single letter can actually make a rather large difference in the meaning of that word or the entire sentance..
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abunai
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Joined: 05 Mar 2004
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 4:59 am Reply with quote
SirWence wrote:
hentai4me wrote:
wow, a single letters difference!!


1 single letter can actually make a rather large difference in the meaning of that word or the entire sentance..

Indeed. Why, imagine if R and L had swapped places. Think of the confusion, and all the famous names that would be affected... like Pontius Pilate. I can hear him now: "All! Me healties! Shivel me timbels! Hoist the Jorry Logel!" Wink

This joke would have been funnier on September 19.


- abunai

EDIT: typofix


Last edited by abunai on Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:41 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Efan



Joined: 26 Aug 2005
Posts: 340
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 10:12 am Reply with quote
I'm not 100% sure, but i think the opening themes lyrics were taken from an opera called "Eduard auf dem Seil" which was writen by Eduard Morike. He also wrote a poem called "Elfen Lied" which just so happens to be the name of this anime Anime smile. You guys can feel free to jump in with corrections and insults if i'm like most people do when someone is wrong.
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dormcat
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 11:01 am Reply with quote
I think it's about time to end guessings once and for all. Rolling Eyes

Verbatim from OST, with wrong text marked red:

Quote:
Os iusti meditabitur sapientiam,
Et lingua eius loquetur indicium.

-- Psalm 36:30
(n should be u)

Quote:
Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem,
Quoniqm cum probates fuerit accipient coronam vitae.

-- James 1:12
(q should be a; e should be u; n should be removed)

Quote:
Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison.

-- Kyrie, fons bonitatis, a prayers song for alchemists

Quote:
O quam sancta, quam serena, quam benigma, quam amoena.
Esse Virgo creditur! (repeat*)
O castitatis lilium.

-- Ave mundi spes Maria, a prayers song dedicated to Virgin Mary
(m should be n; "Esse Virgo creditur!" was not in TV OP but included in the "Saint" version of Lilium with all-male chorus)


Last edited by dormcat on Tue Nov 01, 2005 12:56 pm; edited 1 time in total
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hentai4me



Joined: 25 Oct 2005
Posts: 1313
Location: England. Robin is so Cute!
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 12:16 pm Reply with quote
what i am saying is that the meaning of the words doesn't matter as much as the sound that saying them makes.

if the meaning is what mattered then she could have sung in any language in common use today and stood a far better chance of getting it across.

but its not, its in latin because latin sounds wonderful in these kinds of songs.

its the sound that matters not the message!!

thats what I am getting at and that is why a few letters difference doesnt matter in the long run.
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abunai
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:48 pm Reply with quote
Efan wrote:
I'm not 100% sure, but i think the opening themes lyrics were taken from an opera called "Eduard auf dem Seil" which was writen by Eduard Morike. He also wrote a poem called "Elfen Lied" which just so happens to be the name of this anime Anime smile. You guys can feel free to jump in with corrections and insults if i'm like most people do when someone is wrong.

I say, you could've checked the Encyclopedia trivia page for Elfen Lied, in which yours truly wrote:

Quote:
The title of 'Elfen Lied' was probably taken from the German song 'Elfenlied' by Eduard Mörike (1804-1875). The song plays on the similarity between the words for 'elf' and 'eleven', and takes place at eleven o'clock.


Not "OP lyrics" but "title".

That page also lists the answers to the question that began this discussion. You know, people really ought to read the Encyclopedia with more diligence, before asking questions...

- abunai
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Bruce Lee



Joined: 04 Feb 2003
Posts: 715
Location: Seattle, Washington
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 6:52 pm Reply with quote
TF wrote:
it' latin, but i never thought a latin song could sound so good Very Happy


SirWence wrote:
Well, in my humble opinion this is one of the best Anime Intro Songs I have had the pleasure of hearing. Go Latin


I allways skip past the intro because that song gives me the heeby jeebies! The "artsy" nakedness and Latin make it just creepy and weird to me - like some sort of freaky ritual or something. I also get a little squeemish with the weird completely unnecessary underage nudity in the show as well.

Past that, though, I like the show.
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