"Le ciel est haut, la terre est basse ..."

English translation: The sky is so high, the ground so low...

18:10 Jun 8, 2015
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Folklore
French term or phrase: "Le ciel est haut, la terre est basse ..."
This is said by a labourer during a discussion about the the year's work in the vineyard. The French proverb in full is "Le ciel est haut, la terre est basse, il n'y a que la table et le lit qui soient à la bonne hauteur" and that could be read as that there are things that are beyond us and beneath us, but also that some things do come within our domain. So my first thought was that some play on Goldilocks' "this bed is just right" might work for Anglophones.

But the above fragmentary quote is then followed by another labourer's comment "Slaves to the land and the sky, under an obligation ..." So the point is more that they have to work the land, in a harsh climate, for an unsympathetic landowner and nothing "is just right".

A literal translation would get the point across, but I'd prefer to use something proverbial if possible. Nothing springs to mind though!

TIA.
DLyons
Ireland
Local time: 00:55
English translation:The sky is so high, the ground so low...
Explanation:
At a level that is out of reach, in the case of the sky, and the lowest level that one can descend to on this earth (the ground), out of one's immediate zone.

An individual is only able to find comfort and contentment, find what is best in life, at one's own level/in the immediate environment/one's own level of immediate experience.
Selected response from:

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 20:55
Grading comment
Thanks Barbara. I'm putting Charlotte's version into the Glossary.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +5The sky is so high, the ground so low...
Barbara Cochran, MFA
3 +3in the grand scheme of things.....
ormiston
4My will is done neither in heaven nor on the ground, (read below)
Francois Boye
4we (lowly) toilers of earth are on our knees but we can gaze/aim at the firmament/heavens/stars
Yvonne Gallagher
3Bring you a star down from the sky and I'll bring another.
Steven Ritchie
3The sky's up above and the ground's down below
B D Finch
2pie in the sky
Verginia Ophof


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
The sky is so high, the ground so low...


Explanation:
At a level that is out of reach, in the case of the sky, and the lowest level that one can descend to on this earth (the ground), out of one's immediate zone.

An individual is only able to find comfort and contentment, find what is best in life, at one's own level/in the immediate environment/one's own level of immediate experience.

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 20:55
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks Barbara. I'm putting Charlotte's version into the Glossary.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Chakib Roula: Why not?
26 mins
  -> Merci, Chakib.

agree  Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, Patricia.

agree  nweatherdon
7 hrs
  -> Merci, njweatherhdon.

agree  Sandra & Kenneth Grossman: "The sky is high, the ground is low" scans better.
12 hrs
  -> Thanks, Sandra & Kenneth.

agree  Charlotte Allen: Or "the sky so high, the earth so low..." which also scans nicely. But my concern is that without the familiarity with the proverb, it will all be lost on the Anglophone reader!
13 hrs
  -> Thanks, Charlotte.
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
My will is done neither in heaven nor on the ground, (read below)


Explanation:
To plagiarize Our Father's will, I would say:

My will is done neither in Heaven nor on the ground, with the former being too high and the latter too low

Francois Boye
United States
Local time: 20:55
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Francois. That's the sort of idea I was playing around too.

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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
pie in the sky


Explanation:
suggestion.
Out on a limb here........

Example sentence(s):
  • A promise of heaven, while continuing to suffer in this life

    Reference: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/282700.html
Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 18:55
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Verginie, I think that's the sense OK. I'm awaiting feedback from the author.

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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
we (lowly) toilers of earth are on our knees but we can gaze/aim at the firmament/heavens/stars


Explanation:
or,

we are merely lowly toilers of earth with the Heavens looking down on us..e on our knees

or something along those lines.
it's not about "the meek inheriting the earth" here but more like "getting the reward in Heaven" so paraphrasing some Socialist ideas perhaps might get message across

As Jim Larkin said "The great appear great because we are on our knees: Let us rise."

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 00:55
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Yvonne. Socialism is a potential source all right. Just this particular text has little optimism (so far at least).

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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
\"Le ciel est haut, la terre est basse ...\"
in the grand scheme of things.....


Explanation:
...we are mere cogs in the wheel.

Could this cover the (fragmented) ideas of being somewhat constrained as we toil on earth...?

ormiston
Local time: 01:55
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks ormistion - that's inventive! I'm awaiting feedback.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jennifer White: that is good!
2 mins

agree  writeaway
33 mins

agree  Verginia Ophof
1 hr
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17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Bring you a star down from the sky and I'll bring another.


Explanation:
Not really common English proverbs. They are Scottish Gaelic, but I thought they might aid you in finding the right English translation. They are from a rural, farming culture so close in meaning.

The sentiment is a hint to big people that they need not aim at things too high even for them. So everyone at their own level.

The originals are as follows:

Bheir na daoine beaga rud às an speur cho luath ris na daoine mòra.
"Little people will bring things from the sky as soon as big ones. "

Bring you a star down from the sky and I'll bring another.
' Thoir thusa rionnag às an speur, 's bheir mis' a-nuas tè eile '.


    Reference: http://archive.org/details/collectionofgael02maci
Steven Ritchie
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Go raibh maith agat, a Stiofán. I certainly wasn't expecting Gaelic to harbour an appropriate proverb. I haven't found any English equivalent unfortunately.

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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
The sky's up above and the ground's down below


Explanation:
Which could be followed by something like "and here we are stuck in the middle!"

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Note added at 1 day16 hrs (2015-06-10 10:58:13 GMT) Post-grading
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Yes, it probably would require a "bloody" for a UK readership:

The sky's up above and the ground's down below and here we are stuck in the bloody middle!

B D Finch
France
Local time: 01:55
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Barbara. That would also work.

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