Abstract of PhD Thesis by: Doan Thuy Quynh

The project was completed at:

University of Social Sciences and Humanities

Vietnam National University, Hanoi

 

 

Scientific supervisor:Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thuy and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Dat

 

 

Independent Reviewer 1: ………………………………………………

Independent Reviewer 2: ……………………………………………….

 

Counter-argument 1: ………………………………………………….……

Counter-argument 2: ……………………………………………….………

Counter-argument 3: ……………………………………………….………

 

The dissertation will be defended before the Dissertation Examination Board of the training institution, meeting at:..........................................

.......................................................................................................

at ………. o'clock …. on …. day …. month …. year……….

 

 

The thesis can be found at the library:

National Library of Vietnam

Information and Library Center, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

 

INTRODUCTION

1. Reasons for choosing the topic

English songs, especially those from the 1980s and 2000s on the theme of love, are widely loved by music listeners because of their beautiful lyrics and melodies. The lyrics express strong emotions and appeal to listeners. Almost all songs have lyrics that strongly reflect the artistic style of the language, a highlight of the song, and the rhymes are musical. English songs from the 1980s and 2000s have a special impact on society. Listeners can understand the messages about thoughts, feelings, life, people, and the surrounding environment hidden within the lyrics that the songwriters want to express. Therefore, English songs from this period are also used by teachers to teach English, to increase the attractiveness of lessons, and to help students acquire knowledge about language and culture.

Vietnamese translations of English love songs from the 1980s-2000s were also widely accepted by Vietnamese music listeners. Notable Vietnamese composers who translated lyrics for these songs included Phạm Duy, Lê Hựu Hà, Nguyễn Hoàng Đô, Quốc Bảo, Anh Bằng, Trường Kỳ, and others. Their translated works attracted a large audience both domestically and overseas because the language used in the translations possessed artistic value, serving both expressive functions and stylistic characteristics of artistic language, while also conveying the message of the original song to the listener.

The reason why English songs and their Vietnamese translations are so appealing to the public and have a positive impact on society is because of their captivating lyrics. To truly appreciate a song, listeners must understand the content and meaning conveyed in the lyrics. For these reasons, we decided to choose the topic "Case-based comparative studyfrominsongsEnglish literature from the 1980s to 2000s with Vietnamese translations (theme: love)"This study aims to compare the original lyrics and the translated lyrics in terms of semantics, pragmatics, and the style of word combinations and phonetics (rhymes) in the lyrics to identify similarities and differences between the lyrics in the two languages. Comparing the lyrics of English songs from the 1980s-2000s with their Vietnamese translations (on the theme of love) will make practical and useful contributions, providing new materials and methods for research and supporting the effective teaching and learning of English."

2. Research objectives and research tasks

The thesis aims to identify similarities and differences between the lyrics of the two languages ​​and draw conclusions suggesting methods for translating songs and teaching English through songs. To achieve this goal, the thesis poses the following research questions:

1. What are the similarities and differences between the original English lyrics and the Vietnamese translation in terms of semantics and pragmatics?
2. What are the similarities and differences in style between the original English lyrics and the Vietnamese translation?
3. What are the similarities and differences in phonetics between the original English lyrics and the Vietnamese translation?

To answer the above question, the research objectives of this thesis are:

- An overview of the research situation on song lyrics worldwide and in Vietnam.

- Describe and compare the semantic and pragmatic features of the lyrics in the original version with the translation to find similarities and differences in semantics and pragmatics between the two texts (applying Peter Newmark's pragmatic translation strategy).

- Survey, describe, analyze, and compare the stylistic combinations of words in the original and translated texts to identify similarities and differences, and to see how well the translation retains those stylistic characteristics.

- Conduct a comparative study of rhymes to identify similarities and differences, and to see how well the translations retain the characteristics of the rhymes.

3. Research Subjects and Scope

The subject of this research is the lyrics in English songs and the lyrics in Vietnamese translations (sungable translations).

The scope of this research is the lyrics of English love songs from the 1980s-2000s and the lyrics in their Vietnamese translations.

4. Research Methodology

To complete this thesis, we used the comparative method, the descriptive method, and several other research techniques such as semantic lexical analysis, direct component analysis, and statistical methods.

5. Research Sources

The English source material is from publications by Hanoi National University Publishing House and Phuong Dong University Publishing House, while the Vietnamese source material is from reputable websites: lyric.karaoke.com/Album/nhac_ngoai_loi_viet and hopamviet.vn, translated by famous Vietnamese musicians and Vietnamese musicians living abroad.

6. Theoretical and practical significance

In terms of theoretical significance: The research results of this thesis will contribute to consolidating and clarifying several theoretical issues concerning artistic language, stylistic theory, comparative theory, translation theory, and song translation theory. The thesis will also contribute to promoting research on the comparative theory of artistic texts (songs) in Vietnam.

In terms of practical significance: The results of this thesis not only serve as a reference document within the scope of translation research in general and lyric translation in particular, but also assist in the teaching and learning of foreign languages.

7. Thesis Structure

Besides the introduction, conclusion, references, and appendices, the main body of the thesis consists of four chapters:

Chapter 1: Overview of Research Situation and Theoretical Basis

Chapter 2: Comparing the lyrics of English songs with their Vietnamese translations (on the theme of love) in terms of semantics and pragmatics.

Chapter 3: Comparing the lyrics of English songs with their Vietnamese translations (love themes) in terms of stylistic word combinations.

Chapter 4: Comparing the lyrics of English songs with their Vietnamese translations (love themes) in terms of phonetics (rhyme)

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH SITUATION AND THEORETICAL BASIS

1.1. Overview of literature related to the research situation

1.1.1 The state of lyric research worldwide

Currently, no one in the world has conducted research on the comparative study of Vietnamese-English and English-Vietnamese lyrics; only studies of English lyrics exist. To conduct a comparative study of lyrics, it is necessary to examine lyrics already studied from several perspectives. These studies to date have mainly focused on the main approaches: songwriting, linguistics, and translation, with a few studies very close to the comparative approach.

Studies on lyricism from a songwriting perspective are not yet numerous worldwide. We found two publications to be quite interesting and particularly noteworthy:New definition of lyric, theory, technology, and culture” by Mark Jeffreys (1998) and “The Arts of Writing Great Lyrics” by Pamela Phillips Oland (2001).

The study of lyrics from a linguistic perspective has attracted the attention of many scholars worldwide, ranging from basic research to in-depth semantic studies. Notable examples include the research of authors such as Travis K (2008) on Funk music lyrics and Dwiki Rifardi (2017) on the semantics of Funk lyrics.Bob Marley,Janne Harpela (2015), Johansson (2016), Wiji Lestari (2017), and Lydia Ankuno (2018) studied conceptual metaphors of love in lyrics.

Studies on lyric translation that are very close to a comparative approach have attracted considerable attention from scholars worldwide, notably the studies of Low (2005) with his work "Song and SignificanceFranzon (2008) with the work "Choices in Song Translation: Singability in print, Subtitles and Sung Performances”and scholars who have applied the research findings of the above scholars include Damla Kaleg, Nantaporn Sangroj, Chrisna Leni, and Athriyana Santye Pattiwael.

1.1.2 The current state of lyric research in Vietnam

In Vietnam, no one has yet conducted research comparing Vietnamese-English and English-Vietnamese lyrics. Studies on pop lyrics in Vietnam to date have mainly focused on the following main approaches: musicology, linguistics, and translation.

The pioneer in studying lyrics from a musical perspective in Vietnam is Duong Viet A (2005) with his work "Lyrics in Vietnamese music,Next are the doctoral dissertations of Tran Thi Ngoc Lan (2010) and Vo Van Ly (2011).

The linguistic studies of song lyrics that are currently attracting considerable attention from Vietnamese authors include the research of Nguyen Thi Bich Hanh, Tran Anh Tu, Tran Kim Phuong, Phan Ngoc Anh, Ngo Huu Hoang, Dao Thi Dong Hop, and Pham Van Tinh. Nguyen Thi Bich Hanh (2009) (2014) is interested in “Linguistic symbols in Trinh Cong Son's lyrics" and "Cognitive metaphors in Trinh Cong Son's lyricsTran Anh Tu (2018) went into further research on “The relationship between the tones in the lyrics and the melody of Nghe Tinh folk singing."In addition, there are several articles on light music lyrics published in specialized journals, specifically:The Marching Song from the Perspective of Critical Discourse Analysis” by Ngo Huu Hoang (2019) and Dao Thi Dong Hop, “Unusual combinations in Trinh Cong Son's lyrics from a grammatical perspective." by Tran Kim Phuong (2011), Nouns denoting time - seasons in Trinh Cong Son's lyrics by Tran Kim Phuong and Phan Ngoc Anh (2011) and "The lyrics in contemporary songs offer some thoughts.” by Pham Van Tinh (2003).

The study of lyrics from a translation perspective is also relatively new in Vietnam. Notable examples include the research of Le Hung Tien (2010), which addressed a small part of the issue of lyric translation through a discussion on establishing equivalence in song translation, and Nguyen Ninh Bac (2014) and Ngo Tu Lap (2016), which discussed in depth the methods of lyric translation.

Reviewing the aforementioned research, it is evident that neither in Vietnam nor worldwide has any scholar addressed comparative studies of Vietnamese-English or English-Vietnamese lyrics. Therefore, our choice to conduct this research is significant.case comparisonfromin the articlessingEnglish literature from the 1980s to 2000s with Vietnamese translations (theme: love)It is new, necessary, and significant both theoretically and practically.

1.2. Theoretical basis

1.2.1 Theory of Comparison

Bui Manh Hung (2008) proposed five principles of comparison: the phenomena to be compared must be described fully, accurately, and profoundly; the phenomena to be compared must be considered within their system; the linguistic phenomena presented for comparison must be considered from a pragmatic perspective; the concepts used in the comparison must be consistent; and attention must be paid to the typological characteristics between the languages ​​to be compared.

When making comparisons, we need to follow three steps: Describe the related elements in the languages ​​being compared, identify what can be compared with each other, and compare to find similarities and differences.

Comparison includes both two-way and one-way comparisons. This thesis studies the comparison of lyrics in the original version with the translation, which is a one-way comparison, with English lyrics as the source language and Vietnamese lyrics as the target language.

1.2.2 Theory of lyrics

1.2.2.1 Definition of lyrics

Lyrics are the linguistic material of a song, carrying aesthetic values ​​and equivalent to literary language.

1.2.2.2 Function of lyrics

Lyrics have three functions: impact, expression, and poetic. These functions belong to the pragmatic function.

1.2.2.3 Some stylistic characteristics of lyrics

According to Richard Gill (1995), style in artistic language reflects the author's choice of words and word combinations in the process of creating their work.

The stylistic value of word combinations in lyrics is expressed in: the style of combinations in reverse order, the style of word combinations in a natural, colloquial style, the style of "unusual" combinations using rhetorical devices, and the combinations of different linguistic units in different languages.

1.2.2.3 Some characteristics of rhyme in lyrics

- Rhyme in English

The basic unit of rhyme: The basic unit of rhyme in English is the syllable (for rhymes of single words) and the syllable block (for rhymes of polysyllabic words).

Types of rhymes: According to Thompson (2006), based on the position of the rhyme, rhymes are classified into internal rhymes and end rhymes. Based on the number of syllables in a rhyme, rhymes are divided into single-syllable rhymes, double-syllable rhymes, and triple-syllable rhymes. Based on the harmonic function of the rhymes, rhymes are divided into perfect rhymes, imperfect rhymes, and sight rhymes/eye rhymes.

- Rhyme in Vietnamese

The unit of rhyme: The basic unit of rhyme in Vietnamese poetry is the syllable (in Vietnamese, a syllable coincides with a morpheme and also with a word).

Types of rhymes: According to Mai Ngoc Chu (2005), based on the position of the rhyme, they are divided into internal rhymes and end rhymes; based on the degree of harmony of the rhyme, they are divided into main rhymes, common rhymes and forced rhymes; based on the variation of the tone in the rhyming syllable, they are divided into level rhymes and oblique rhymes.

1.2.2.4 The relationship between lyrics and music and poetry

Lyrics, music, and poetry are very closely related because the process of transitioning from spoken words to lyrics is influenced by three laws: the laws of language, the laws of poetry, and the laws of music.

1.2.3. Theories of translation and song translation

1.2.3.1 Theory of Translation

Peter Newmark's (1988) translation model: Peter Newmark proposed eight translation methods including word-for-word translation, literal translation, faithful translation, semantic translation, communicative translation, idiomatic translation, free translation, and adaptation, presented in a V-shaped diagram, oriented towards two strategies: semantic translation and communicative translation.

To compare English lyrics of light music with their Vietnamese translations in terms of semantics and pragmatics, we applied Peter Newmark's translation model to see which translation strategies preserved the word and sentence units in the lyrics.

1.2.3.2 Song Translation Theory

Peter Low's song translation model (2005)

Low proposed three methods for translating songs: semantic translation, paraphrased translation, and free translation. Low also categorized song translations according to their semantic content. He suggested the Pentathlon principle, which includes five elements for song translation: singability, sense, naturalness, rhythm, and rhymes. Furthermore, for song translation, the translator can decide for themselves which features of the original text are important and should be retained.

The thesis proposes three types of song translations: literal translation, close imitation, and distant imitation.

 

CHAPTER 2: A COMPARISON OF LYRICS IN ENGLISH SONGS WITH THEIR VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIONS IN TERMS OF SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS

We applied Peter Newmark's translation model to compare personal pronouns, titles, and main content in 62 original songs and 62 translated songs in terms of semantics and pragmatics..

2.1 Comparing the semantic and pragmatic characteristics of the lyrics in the original version with the translation.

2.1.1 Comparison of personal pronouns representing characters in the original lyrics with the translation

The noun phrases in the original text were translated into the translation using noun phrases and noun/noun phrase groups, as listed in the following table:

Table 2.2: Statistical table of the results of the comparison of the National Assembly's conclusions.

Strategy	DTNX	Quantity	Ratio	Total
Semantic translation	Specialized T&Cs	135	15.66%	69.83%
	Provisional Youth Union	467	54.17%
Translate the announcement	Combined DTNX	151	17.51%	30.15%
	Noun/Noun Phrase	109	12.64%

Table 2.2 shows that the transmissive data were translated using two translation strategies: semantic translation and communicative translation; of which the semantic translation strategy accounted for 69.83%, and the communicative translation strategy accounted for 30.15%. Semantic translation includes a group of specialized transmissive data (I(we, us)and the interim Youth Union group (I/you - you or me/him). Translate the announcement including the combined Youth Union group (I/you - us) and noun groups, noun phrases (you - him/her,she (her best friend).

The method of translating pronouns from the original text to the translated version using temporary pronouns, combined pronouns, noun phrases, or specialized pronouns has great pragmatic value because pronouns in Vietnamese have expressive functions, creating strong expressive power and high interpersonal value.

2.1.2 Comparing the title in the original lyrics with the translation

The titles of the original texts that were translated into the translation are summarized in the following table:

Table 2.3: Table summarizing the results of title comparison

Title		Quantity	Ratio
Title reserved	The translation was preserved.	51	82.25%
	Reserved for translation	3	4.83%
Titles are not reserved.		8	12.90%

Comment: Table 2.3 shows that the retained titles account for a very large proportion of 87.09%, while the unreserved titles account for a small proportion of 12.90%. Of the 62 titles compared, 54 were retained, of which 51 retained titles were translated.Love story– love story…),3 titles reserved for translation (Donna-Donna…)8 titles are not reserved (Unchained MelodyButWait for him to come home...).Most of the reserved titles that have been translated are done using an informative translation strategy, which has a significant impact on music listeners.

2.2.3 Comparing the main content of the original lyrics with the translation

The lyrics from the original version that were translated into the translation are listed in the following table:

Table 2.4: Statistical table of the results of comparing the main content in the original lyrics with the translation.

The lyrics		Number of sentences	Ratio
Sentence reserved	The translation was preserved.	424	42.80%
	Reserved for translation	82
Sentence not reserved		676	57.19%

Table 2.4 shows the results of comparing 62 original songs and 62 translations, with 424/1182 preserved lyrics translated.She fills my entering with many special things/My heart is full,There are countless love stories.)82/1182 lyrics were preserved without translation (retained in their original English form) and 676/1182 lyrics were not preserved.Life is a moment in space/Life will be incredibly lonely..Most of the preserved lyrics that have been translated are done using an informative translation strategy, which has a significant impact on music listeners.

2.2 Applying the results of the comparison to classify song translations

Based on the results of comparing the lyrics in terms of semantics and content, the thesis classifies the translations into 17 literal translations, 32 close imitations, and 13 distant imitations. Thus, we can conclude that the translators of English songs from the 1980s to 2000s into Vietnamese mainly followed the trend of close imitation.

 

CHAPTER 3: COMPARING LYRICS IN ENGLISH SONGS WITH VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIONS: STYLISH COMBINATIONS OF WORD COMBINATIONS

We selected 46 original songs and 46 translated songs—translations that were complete, with the same number of verses and lines as the originals—to compare the stylistic characteristics of different word combinations.

3.1 Survey and describe the stylistic characteristics of the original lyrics and the translated lyrics.

The results of the survey on the stylistic characteristics of the original and translated lyrics are summarized as follows:

Table 3.1: Statistical table of the number of word combinations in the original and translated versions.

Types of word combinations	Type 1	Type 2	Type 3
Original	99	724	323
Translation	97	864	292

Table 3.1 shows that the largest number of word combinations follow the KNTN style, followed by combinations of "unique" and "unusual," and finally combinations that are out of the usual order. The translation has more word combinations in the KNTN style than the original, but the original has more unusual combinations than the translation.

3.1.1Style characteristicsoriginal lyrics

- Combining words in the reverse order (type 1)

For example:HappinessI'd like to give this to you.(Inverted noun combination).

- Combining natural, spoken language style (type 2)

For example:Ohmy, my, myIt's a beautiful day.(repetition of words)

- Unusual combination (type 3)

For example:lonly summer(Combining words using personification),

3.1.2 Characteristics of the lyrical style in the translation

- Combining words in the reverse order (type 1)

For example:HappinessI'd like to give this to you.(Inverted noun combination).

- Combining natural, spoken language style (type 2)

For example,What a lively Sunday!on the streets(Using colloquial language).

- Unusual combination (type 3)

For example:gray hair faded by rain and sun (Combined from translations using metaphors)

3.2. Comparing the stylistic characteristics of the original lyrics and the translation.

3.2.1 Comparing the stylistic characteristics of lyrics in terms of form

Table 3.2: Comparison table of lyrical style characteristics in terms of form

Combination types	Specific combinations	Original	Translation
Reverse combination	Noun inversion	+	+
	Adjective inversion	+	+
	Invert the adverb	+	But
	Inversion of word order	But	+
Combining in the KNTN style	Repetition	+	+
	Use colloquial language.	+	+
	Subject reduction	+	+
	Abbreviated word	+	But
This "unusual" combination uses rhetorical devices.	Personification	+	+
	Metaphor	+	+
	Comparison	+	+
	Paradoxical measures	+	But

Table 3.2 shows that the styles of the word combinations are similar: inversion of nouns and adjectives, repetition, use of colloquial language, and subject omission; the difference lies in the fact that the original combines verb inversion, adverb inversion, and word omission, while the translation combines inversion of complex word order.

3.2.2 Comparing the stylistic characteristics of lyrics in relation to translation

We chose this "unusual" combination for comparison in terms of translation because it has a striking color. The results are as follows:

Table 3.3: Statistical table of results comparing lyrical style characteristics in terms of translation methods.

Unusual combinations of translation methods	Quantity	Ratio
The original lyrics have an "unusual" combination, and the translated lyrics retain these "unusual" combinations.	119/323	36.84%
The original lyrics have an "unusual" combination; the translated lyrics do not retain these "unusual" combinations.	204/323	63.15%
The original lyrics don't contain any "unusual" combinations; the translated lyrics do.	173

Table 3.3 shows that the number of unusual combinations retained in the translation is 36.84%, while the number of unusual combinations not retained is 63.15%.

3.3.2.1 Unusual word combinations retained in the translation: 36.84% of unusual word combinations were retained in the translation, but expressed in different forms (the original text uses personification, while the translated text uses personification; or the original text uses personification, while the translated text uses metaphor, simile, etc.).

The original lyrics use personification, while the translated lyrics retain this personification.

Original:

"How can I keep searching whenDark clouds hide the day”

(Green Fields – Author: The Brothers Four)

Translation:

"I I feel sorry for that couple.The wind loves the clouds.”

(Green Fields - Translator: Le Huu Ha)

The original lyrics use metaphor, while the translated lyrics use personification.

Original:

"Youhold me in your eyesin your own special way” 

(How I love you – Author: Engelbert Humperdinck)

Translation:

"Your eyestruly captivatinglull his soulthis afternoon

(Love Remains Deeply Affectionate – Translator: Khuc Lan)

The original lyrics use contrast, while the translated lyrics use personification.

Original:

"When I wassame, and Christmas trees wereNut”

(First of May – Author:Bee Gees)

Translation:

"The evening falls on the streets,Christmas has arrived with the wind.”

(Christmas Remembrance – Translated by Khuc Lan)

3.3.2.2 Unusual combinations were not retained in the translation; 63.15% of these combinations were not retained in the translation. For example, the original lyrics use personification, while the translated lyrics do not.

Original:

"Yes, it's gonna be cool. lonly summer”

(Sealed with a kiss – Author:Dernier Baisers)

Translation:

"My life will pass by in the years.,Don't worry about the future.”

(Love in Life – Translator: Truong Ky)

3.3.3.3 Unusual combinations appear in the translation. For example, the original lyrics do not use personification, while the translated lyrics do:

Original:

"We go to a party and everyone turns to see
(Wonderful Tonight – Author:Eric Clapton)

Translation:

"I went to the dinner party.All eyes are on you, my love. 

(A Wonderful Night – Translator: Chu Minh Ki)

CHAPTER 4: COMPARING LYRICS IN ENGLISH SONGS WITH THEIR VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIONS IN TERMS OF PHONETICS (RHYMES)

We selected 46 original songs and 46 translated songs – translations that were complete, with the same number of verses and lines as the originals – to compare the lyrical characteristics in terms of phonetics (rhyme).

4.1 The effect of rhyme in original lyrics and translated lyrics

Rhyme in both the original and translated lyrics serves several functions: it connects the verses, marks pauses in the verses, enhances the musicality of the song, and influences the melody.

4.2 Survey and description of rhyme in the original lyrics and the translated lyrics

The results of the rhyme statistics in the 46 original songs and 46 translated songs are as follows:

Table 4.2: Statistical table of rhyme types based on harmonic levels

Song	Perfect rhyme	Imperfect rhyme	Spelling rhyme/forced rhyme	Total
Original	261	66	1	328
Translation	157	67	25	249

Table 4.3: Statistical table of rhyme data by number of syllables

Song	Simple rhyme	Double rhyme	Total
Original	311	17	328
Translation	249	But	249

4.2.1 Rhyme in the original lyrics

4.2.1.1 Rhyme based on harmonic level

From the 328 rhyming pairs in the original text, as shown in Table 4.2, we have categorized the types of rhymes, including: perfect rhymes (moon/soon), imperfect rhymes (name/change), and spelling rhymes (hear/bear).

4.2.1.2 Rhyme based on the number of syllables

From the 328 rhyming pairs in the songs listed in Table 4.2, we used the number of syllables to examine the types of rhymes, including: simple rhymes (run/sun), double rhymes (curtain/certain

4.2.2 Rhyme in translated lyrics

From the 249 rhyming pairs in the translation listed in Table 4.2, we used the harmonic level to examine the types of rhymes, including: main rhymes (sau/dau), common rhymes (hằng/đàng), and forced rhymes (vàn/còn).

4.3 Comparisonrhymein the original lyrics versus the translation

4.3.1 In terms of form

Table 4.4: Comparison of rhyme in the original text with the translation in terms of form.

Rhyme classification characteristics	Specific types of rhymes	English song	Vietnamese translation
Harmonization function	Perfect rhyme (main rhyme)	+	+
	Imperfect rhyme (common rhyme)	+	+
	Spelling (forced rhyme)	+	+
Number of syllables (length)	Simple rhyme	+	+

Table 4.4 shows that, formally, the rhymes in the original and translated versions are similar in their harmonic function, both having different types of rhymes: perfect rhymes; imperfect rhymes; forced rhymes; but differ in that the rhymes in the original include both single and double rhymes, while the rhymes in the translated version are only single rhymes.

4.3.2 Regarding translation methods

Rhyme about translation	Quantity (bag)	Ratio
The original lyrics rhyme, the translated lyrics retain the rhyme.	205/328	62.50%
The original lyrics rhyme, but the translated lyrics do not retain the rhyme.	123/328	37.50%
The original lyrics have no rhyme, while the translated lyrics do.	44

 

4.3.2.1 Rhymes retained in translation: 62.50% of rhyming pairs are retained in translation but are expressed in different forms (the original has a perfect rhyming pair/main rhyme, the translation also has a perfect rhyming pair/main rhyme, or the original has a perfect rhyming pair/main rhyme, the translation has a perfect rhyming pair/main rhyme but in a different position in the sentence…).

+ The original text has perfect rhymes/main rhymes, and the translation also retains perfect rhymes/main rhymes. For example:

Original:

"I couldn't hope to say how Ispread
The joy in my heart no words can reveal”

(Over and over – Author: Nana Mouskouri)

Translation:

"How can I possibly express all the feelings in my heart?love
My humble dream is to have you by my side.me”

(Passionate Love – Translator: Anh Bang)

+ The original has perfect rhymes/main rhymes, and the translation also retains the perfect rhymes/main rhymes (but the position of the lines in the verse is different). For example:

Original:

"Once upon a time, there was a tavern

Where we used to raise a glass ortwo
Remember how we laughed away the hours
Think of all the great things we wouldby?”

(Those were the days – Author: Mary Hopkin)

Translation:

"When we were in love, we'd take each other to a cafe.This

Then let's have a few drinks together.full
Laughter as loud as firecrackers, as if they would never know sadness.
We dream of the future, we dream of a happy day.”.

(Remembering the time we were in love - Translator:Pham Duy)

+ The original has perfect rhymes/main rhymes, the translation retains imperfect rhymes/common rhymes.

Example 96:

Original:

"I never dare to reach for themoon
I never thought I'd know heaven sosoon”

(Over and over – Author: Nana Mouskouri)

Translation:

"I don't dream of a life in the palace.always
I am not greedy for heavenly blessings.the”

(Passionate Love – Translator: Anh Bang)

4.3.2.2 Rhymes are not retained in the translation.

The original has perfect rhymes/main rhymes, the translation does not. For example:

Original:

"You don't have to say you love me just be close athand
You don't have to stay forever I will undercopied”

(You don't have to say you love me – Author: Dusty Springfield)

Translation:

"And you don't need to say you love me, I just want you right now.
And you don't need to say you love me, just please believe, just believe.”

(No Need to Say I Love You – Translator: Pham Duy)

4.3.2.3 Additional rhymes appearing in the translation

For example:

Original:

"Someday we'll meet again, my love
Someday whenever the spring Break through”

(Somewhere My Love – Author: Connie Francis)

Translation:

Lover! We still love each other.much 
And spring also brings love, romance.Love 

(Oh, my love Lara – Translator: Pham Duy)

4.3.3 Comments

Rhyme in songs is governed by the type of language. Rhymes in the original versions are all rhymes of words with lexical meaning (e.g.,two/do; feel/reveal; moon/soon; hand/understand). The rhyme in the translation can also be the rhyme of words with lexical meaning (for example).here/full; forever/foreverHowever, the rhyme in the translated lyrics is formed by rhyming in the second syllable of the compound word - an element that creates reduplication (e.g., rhyming pair).rapids/rocksthenrapidslocated within the wordbumpy,damlocated within the worddrifting) or is a component of a compound word (e.g., rhyming pair)constanthas wordsalwayslocated within the phrasemoon,thelocated within the phraseheaven,rhyming pairlaughter/lifehas wordslaughlocated within the phraselaughter,lifelocated within the phraselove life.

We found that the rhymes in the original song and the translation have not only a phonetic relationship but also a semantic one.

CONCLUDE

Thesis “Case-based comparative studyfromEnglish light music from the 1980s-2000s with Vietnamese translations (love theme)This thesis is a groundbreaking work for the study of song lyrics from a comparative linguistic perspective in Vietnam. Using a comparative method, the thesis clarifies the research objective: to find similarities and differences between the original lyrics and the translation in terms of semantics, pragmatics, style, and phonetics. The thesis addresses new theoretical issues not previously discussed in theses, such as the theory of rhyme in English, the theory of translation – pragmatic translation strategies, and the theory of song translation. The thesis yields the following results:

1. Regarding semantic and pragmatic characteristics,The thesis identified the main types of personal pronouns in the original translated version as temporary pronouns, noun phrases, combined pronouns, and finally, specialized pronouns. The thesis also clarified the semantic and pragmatic characteristics of the temporary personal pronouns (you, me), noun phrases (former lover...), and combined pronouns (we...) in the Vietnamese translation. The thesis showed that the content of the original was primarily translated using an informative translation strategy (92.45% of the lyrics were preserved) and clarified how this informative translation strategy (pragmatic translation) aimed at communicating with the listener. Subsequently, the thesis applied the results of semantic comparison to classify the translations, and we can conclude that translators of English songs from 1980-2000 into Vietnamese followed a main trend of near-imitation translation, followed by semantic translation, and finally, distant imitation.

2.Regarding characteristicspointwindwayThe thesis clarified the stylistic characteristics of word combinations in the original and translated versions. In terms of form, the style of the word combinations is similar in that they both involve inversion of nouns and adjectives, repetition, colloquial language, and subject omission; the difference lies in the fact that the original version incorporates verb inversion, adverbial inversion, and word omission, while the translation incorporates inversion of complex word order. Regarding translation methods, 36.84% of the translated lyrics retain unusual word combinations similar to the original but expressed in different forms (the original uses personification while the translated version also uses personification, or the original uses personification while the translated version uses metaphor or simile...). These "unusual" combinations retained in the translation are mainly those appearing in lyrics with semantically relevant content to the original. In addition, 63.15% of the translated lyrics failed to retain the "unusual" combinations. These "unusual" combinations that were not retained in the translation are mainly those appearing in lyrics that have no semantic connection to the original.

3. Regarding characteristicsphonetic pointThis thesis surveyed, described, and compared the phonetic characteristics (rhyme) of the lyrics in the original and translated versions. In terms of form, the rhymes in the original lyrics and the translated lyrics are similar in that they both have perfect rhymes/main rhymes, imperfect rhymes/common rhymes, and orthographic rhymes/forced rhymes. The rhymes in the original lyrics differ from those in the translated lyrics in length. The original lyrics have single rhymes (rhymes of one-syllable words) and double rhymes (rhymes of two-syllable words), while the translated lyrics only have single-syllable rhymes. Regarding translation, the translated lyrics have retained many rhyming pairs. The fact that rhymes are retained in the translation in large numbers (over 62%) shows that the translators paid close attention to conveying rhyme in their translations. Rhyme enhances the expressive power of the words, increasing the artistic value of the song and its translation.

4. New findingsThe thesis also presents new findings regarding the original and translated lyrics as follows: Firstly, the lyrical units (including the title) are primarily translated using an informative translation strategy. Secondly, the style of the lyrics is characterized by many "unusual" combinations, especially in the translated lyrics. Thirdly, the rhymes in the original and translated lyrics are not only phonetically related but also semantically related (synonyms, antonyms).

5. Some suggestions:Based on the comparative results, the thesis also makes the following suggestions:

Firstly, when translating artistic texts, especially lyrical units, translators should employ an informative translation strategy. This strategy, in addition to preserving the original meaning, also serves to influence the listener, conveying cultural messages and artistic characteristics of the translation.

Secondly, use songs as a tool to aid in teaching foreign languages ​​(phonetics, grammar, and translation). Use rhyming songs to teach phonetics and English listening skills, as listeners will find it easier to remember pronunciation and vocabulary. Use songs with unusual combinations to teach elements of English culture (related to Vietnamese culture), as cultural elements are most clearly expressed through the lyrics of the song. Use original songs and translations (songs with many semantic features preserved in the translation) to teach translation strategies.

6. Several issues require further research:Due to the limited scope of this thesis, during the process of comparing English lyrics of light music with Vietnamese translations, we found that there are still some issues that need further research:

Firstly, there are still unresolved issues related to lyrics, such as comparative studies of symbols in English-Vietnamese lyrics, research on lyrics from a cognitive perspective, and exploration of the transition from poetry to lyrics.

Secondly, this thesis conducts a comparative study of lyrics from a semantic and pragmatic perspective, but we have only addressed the semantics preserved in the translation. The remaining issue is the study of stylistic sequences in translation when translators translate English songs into Vietnamese.