Welcome to SoundCzech, the programme in which listeners can learn about the Czech language through song lyrics.
In this weekâs edition, we look at an unusual, but common Czech phrase â âani tak.â This phrase is used considerably in the song Ani tak nehoÅÃ from the cult 1978 Czech musical Balada pro banditu.
This love song is a duet between singers Miroslav Donutil and Iva Bittová. In it we hear a character by the name of Nikola Šohaj I am racking my brains in vain ...
Mazat karty ...
Largest number of children since 1993 born in CzechRep last year ... describing a series of images that cannot compare to the love he feels for the character of Eržika. âAni tak nehoÅà svÃÄka faráÅovi, jako se bÄlajà mojà milé nohy.â
âAni takâ is difficult to translate directly without understanding the context in which it is used. Essentially it means ânot evenâ and is used in conjunction with the word âjakoâ or âasâ. Confused? Letâs try to translate the sentence and youâll see what I mean. âNot even a priests candle burns as brightly as my loveâs legs.â
The next two sentences follow the same pattern âNot even sweet plum brandy smells as sweet as my loveâs apples.â And the last sentence: âNot even a blow to the heart moves me as much as my loveâs garden.â There is of course subtle sexual imagery in this song, achieved through a lot of poetic wordplay â but decoding that is something Iâll leave to each individual listener and reader.
(radio-Prague)
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