French term
sombres profondeurs océanes qui te ceignent
Il t'a crééé, toi Tahiti, tes luxuriances e tes floraisons!
Et dans les sombres profondeurs océanes qui te ceignent
Il a créé d'inépuisables richesses.
Et ces richesses et cette splendeur,
Aboutissement d'une longue histoire, Font aujourd'hui le bonheur de la nation maohi.
Merci Beaucoup,
Barbara
Proposed translations
the veiled/mysterious/unfathomable deep that girds/encircles/surrounds you
« Sombres profondeurs océanes » is tautological and probably for repetitive effect and rhythm; maybe translate the meaning (mysterious, enigmatic, mystical, etc) rather than the words?
You he created, Tahiti, in plenty and abundance / And in the veiled deep that girds you / He created riches beyond measure
You he created, Tahiti, in plenty and abundance / And in the unfathomable deep that surrounds you / He placed boundless riches
and in the sombre/dark oceanic depths which embrace you
the murky, deep oceans encircling/surrounding you... / Depths of the ocean...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 hrs (2016-04-17 07:58:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"Murky depths of the ocean encircling you" - I would go with this !
"Along with the dark, salty, slimy creatures that inhabited THE MURKY DEEP OCEANS, God called sailors."
"Scientists in Panama have discovered thousands of crabs crawling in the murky depths of the ocean."
http://www.jetkarting.com/news/2013_rigp?page=18
http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/78883013/Scientists-discover-crab-swarm-lurking-in-murky-ocean-depths
and in the ocean's unfathomable depth surrounding you
in your oceans' dark encircling deep
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2016-04-17 14:53:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"encompassing" might work too, e.g. "in the encompassing deep of your dark oceans..." or other variants.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day1 hr (2016-04-17 17:46:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
To be really poetic (or OTT?) "thine oceans, etc...." is possible, and might work if the song/poem is 18th or 19th century.
Discussion