Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
le soir venu, la chouette tentait, en vain, de faire de vocalises
English translation:
Beneath night's cowl, th' owl's howl fell foul
Added to glossary by
William Stein
Apr 21, 2003 12:36
21 yrs ago
French term
France
Experience and feel
Native in: French 
, English (Variant: British)
Works in: English to French, French to English
le soir venu, la chouette tentait, en vain, de faire de vocalises
French to English
Art/Literary
soirée de printemps décrite dans un roman
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+4
1 hr
William Stein
Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Native in English
Costa Rica
Translations that read like originals
Native in: English (Variants: US, UK) 
Works in: French to English, German to English, Spanish to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
1737
Selected
Beneath night's cowl, the owl would howl, but fell foul
A further variation on bootlessly hooting
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "thanks every body, choice here is very subjective...but this suits me best after due consideration of all erfectly relevant suggestions..the asker can feel guilty at times not to "buy it all or almost all" Merci bcp"
13 mins
Pierre POUSSIN
France
France
Native in French
France
Fast and accurate.
Native in: French (Variant: Standard-France)
Works in: English to French, French to English, Latin to French, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
400
Once the evening darkly set, the owl was helplessly
trying to vocalize...
Just a small variation for me!
Have a nice Spring Easter time!
Just a small variation for me!
Have a nice Spring Easter time!
+1
17 mins
Rod Nelson
Canada
Canada
Native in English
Canada
Three decades of translating experience
Native in: English
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, Italian to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
48
As night came on, the owl tried in vain to hoot
or "sought bootlessly to hoot" if you like assonance....
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Karen Tucker (X)
: Or "as night approached..."
17 mins
|
19 mins
at twilight time, the owl was vainly exercising in vocalization
=
+2
22 mins
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Native in English
Psychologist, Court-certified legal
Native in: English
Works in: French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4638
Eventide was drawing in and the owl could be heard making vain attempts to vocalise
A little more context - a couple of sentences before and after this one - might help to set the mood, but here are one or two suggestions, with varying degrees of poetic licence! Mood and emphasis is difficult to judge without more.
As evening fell...
Once night had fallen...
The evening was drawing to a close and...
...the owl made attempts to vocalise, in vain
As evening fell...
Once night had fallen...
The evening was drawing to a close and...
...the owl made attempts to vocalise, in vain
+1
39 mins
Rowan Morrell
New Zealand
New Zealand
Native in English
New Zealand
Committed to the Customer
Native in: English (Variant: New Zealand)
Works in: French to English, German to English, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
202
At eveningtide, the owl did try in vain to sound its call
That's my shot. I think "sound its call" would work quite well for the rather problematic "faire de vocalises". "Eveningtide" and "did try" sound a little bit poetic, although "as evening fell" is quite good as well. Bonne chance.
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Note added at 2003-04-21 13:17:27 (GMT)
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Another possibility here could be:
\"As evening came, the owl did try in vain to sound its call\".
You\'ve got kind of a half rhyme between \"came\" and \"vain\" then.
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Note added at 2003-04-21 13:17:27 (GMT)
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Another possibility here could be:
\"As evening came, the owl did try in vain to sound its call\".
You\'ve got kind of a half rhyme between \"came\" and \"vain\" then.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
: yes except I find eveningtide a bit over the moon
39 mins
|
|
Not sure if I quite get what you mean, but thanks anyway Jane.
|
1 hr
At nightfall the owl tried, but with no avail, to break the silence.
n/a
1 hr
Roddy Stegemann
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Search HKLNA!
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, Japanese to English, French to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
168
as evening came the owl fell silent in disgrace
Une chouette poétique sans personalité devrait être morte.
+1
1 hr
poetry in flight
as evening draws nigh, the owl heaves a sigh,it wants to hoot but can't give a toot.
of course if the owl doesn't care about the problem, the ending will be:
it wants to toot but can't give a hoot.
of course if the owl doesn't care about the problem, the ending will be:
it wants to toot but can't give a hoot.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
ntouzet (X)
2 mins
|
1 hr
as the spring night drew on, the enamored owl was desparately...
... trying to turn its customary hoot into a love trill
if it's Spring, and if it's really in love, which it should be, given that it's a Spring night.
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Note added at 2003-04-21 14:37:13 (GMT)
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maybe it was drew IN, who knows?
if it's Spring, and if it's really in love, which it should be, given that it's a Spring night.
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Note added at 2003-04-21 14:37:13 (GMT)
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maybe it was drew IN, who knows?
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