Pavel Stratan - La tanti Nina

Well, thanks to baby_girl_ I could examine the way Romanians express their thoughts, the complicates syntax became a little more clear, so this time things went better, but it's still a long way to go.
Please check my attempt to translate the song. Also I would appreciate if you check the diacritics I had to put - sometimes merely by ear.
Thanks in advance!
(PS I can get mixed up in English grammar as well, so you needn't correct tenses or something - I understand what happened when even if I write it wrong in English )

La tanti Nina ardea lumină
At aunt Nina's lights were on
Când eu întâmplător treceam de viaţa plin şi mă duceam acasă
When I accidentally(?) lived full life and went home
Unde nevasta care mă iubeşte
Where my wife who loves me
Întruna stă şi se gândeşte
Stays always and thinks
Că degrabă vin când 'colo hopa
(Confused about this; suppose that 'colo stands for acolo, but it still doesn't make sense for me)
Apare Steopa
Steopa appears
Deodată am înţeles că planu' s-o schimbat şi-acasă n-am s-ajung degrabă
I suddenly realised that my plans had changed and I won't be home soon
La tanti Nina ii (îi?) tanti Zina
(???)
Şi parcă mult îi trebuie un bărbat
And it strongly seems like she needs a husband
Care are inimă slabă
Who has a weak heart

Bărbăţelu' meu cel bun pe unde, Doamne, şede?
Where is my good husband, my Lady? (not sure about that)
Stă săracu', cred că-n drum şi-ndură foame, sete
He's poor, I believe he's on his way and suffers from hunger and thirst
Doamne, ajută-l dacă ştii, de poate nu dov'deşte
My Lady, help him if you know (? - the second half seems to me to mean 'he needn't prove', but then the first half doesn't make sense)
(PS: when I listened to the song another time, it seemed to me like she sings 'nu-l dov'deşte', not 'nu dov'deşte', but I still don't get it)
Cred că numa' la copii şi la mine se gândeşte
I believe he's just at (copii?) and thinks about me
Ştiu
I know

La tanti Nina s-o stins lumina
At aunt Nina's lights were off
Când eu întâmplător lu' Zina i-am zis 'da' şi am uitat de casă
When I accidentally grasped Zina, said 'yes' to her and forgot about my home
Unde nevasta şi de data asta
Where my wife this time
Ca-ntotdeauna cu mâncare calda m-aştepta сând 'colo hopa
Just like always, waits for me with warm food when (colo hopa?)
Dispare Steopa
Steopa disappears
Deodată am înţeles că planu' s-o schimbat şi n-ar fi rău s-o şterg acasă
I suddenly realised that my plans had changed and (???)
Că tanti Nina cu tanti Zina
(Că? - too much meanings to choose the correct one without understanding the context) aunt Nina and aunt Zina
Eu nu stiu cât băuse da' băuse mult
I don't know how did she drink that much (? - not sure at all)
Şi se-mbătase
And got drunken

Bărbăţelu' meu cel bun pe unde, Doamne, şede?
Stă săracu', cred că-n drum şi-ndură foame, sete
Doamne, ajută-l dacă ştii, de poate nu dov'deşte
Cred că numa' la copii şi la mine se gândeşte
Ştiu

Originally Posted by Eudaimon

Well, thanks to baby_girl_ I could examine the way Romanians express their thoughts, the complicates syntax became a little more clear, so this time things went better, but it's still a long way to go.
Please check my attempt to translate the song. Also I would appreciate if you check the diacritics I had to put - sometimes merely by ear.
Thanks in advance!
(PS I can get mixed up in English grammar as well, so you needn't correct tenses or something - I understand what happened when even if I write it wrong in English )

La tanti Nina ardea lumină
At aunt Nina's lights were on
Când eu întâmplător treceam de viaţă plin şi mă duceam acasă
[b]When I, accidentally, full of life , was passing by, on my way home
Unde nevasta care mă iubeşte
Where my wife who loves me
Întruna stă şi se gândeşte
Stays and thinks
Că degrabă vin când 'colo hopa
that in a hurry I'll come, but what do you see?/ but what to see?*
Apare Steopa
Steopa appears
Deodată am înţeles că planu' s-o schimbat şi-acasă n-am s-ajung degrabă
I suddenly realised that my plans had changed and I won't be home soon
La tanti Nina îi tanti Zina
Auntie Zina is at auntie Nina
Şi parcă mult îi trebuie un bărbat
And it looks like she strongly needs a man
Care are inimă slabă
Who has a weak heart

Bărbăţelu' meu cel bun pe unde, Doamne, şede?
Where could my good husband be, my God/Lord?**
Stă săracu', cred că-n drum şi-ndură foame, sete
Poor man, I think he's on his way and suffers from hunger and thirst
Doamne, ajută-l dacă ştii, de poate nu dovedeşte
[b]My God, help him if you know... unfortunatelly, the second half doesnt't make any sense to me too (either it's "nu dovedeste"or "nu-l dovedeste", still doesn't make sense)..I've tried to find the song so that I could listen what he's saying, but...I couldn't find it..
Cred că numa' la copii şi la mine se gândeşte
He's probably thinking only about me and the kids
Ştiu
I know

La tanti Nina s-o stins lumina
At aunt Nina's lights were off
Când eu întâmplător lu' Zina i-am zis 'da' şi am uitat de casă
When I, accidentally, said 'yes' to Zina and forgot about my home
Unde nevasta şi de data asta
Where my wife this time
Ca-ntotdeauna cu mâncare caldă m-aştepta сând 'colo hopa
Just like always, waits for me with warm food when what do you see / what to see
Dispare Steopa
Steopa disappears
Deodată am înţeles că planu' s-o schimbat şi n-ar fi rău s-o şterg acasă
I suddenly realised that my plans had changed and it would be better to get back home
Că tanti Nina cu tanti Zina
Because auntie Nina and auntie Zina
Eu nu stiu cât băuse da' băuse mult
[b]I don't know how much did she drink but I know it was a lot
Şi se-mbătase
And got drunken

Bărbăţelu' meu cel bun pe unde, Doamne, şede?
Stă săracu', cred că-n drum şi-ndură foame, sete
Doamne, ajută-l dacă ştii, de poate nu dov'deşte
Cred că numa' la copii şi la mine se gândeşte
Ştiu

* it's a saying which expresses the surprise (when someone is surprised about something unexpected)...I'm not too sure I used the right translation too, but I hope you got the point
**The word "Doamne" has two meanings: 1. the plural of lady, lady=doamna, ladies=doamne; 2. God=Doamne (ex:Of Doamne=Oh My God)

P.S: About what you said at the beggining of your request..I'm glad I could help you in some way And you're on the right way, keep it going The diacritics were written almost perfectly, and for someone who's not romanian, I can tell you that this is quite a hard job to do; not to mention the translation, which it's not an easy one, and still you've managed to translate it good. So, keep up the good work you've started, you're doing it great

Thank you again!

The word "Doamne" has two meanings: 1. the plural of lady, lady=doamna, ladies=doamne; 2. God=Doamne (ex:Of Doamne=Oh My God)

I thought it was about Virgin Mary. That doesn't make much difference, but still thanks a lot for explanation!

I've tried to find the song so that I could listen what he's saying, but...I couldn't find it..

Will this link work? -> http://cs4223.vkontakte.ru/u12157330...3a4c825d93.mp3

Yes, it makes sense now; the only thing I'd love to clear is n-ar fi rău s-o şterg acasă. Verbix.com told me that ar fi + participiu means 3rd person perfect conditional; but rău isn't a verb...
So how does this expression translate literally? It wouldn't be bad if... or something? Probably so, as I understand now, but lack of the verb sort of confused me; I thought it should've been ar fi fost, and so says verbix.
(Not to mention that my dictionary said that şterge means to wipe, to sweep off, to strike, to chop off, to filch, to rub away, to smooth out and didn't even hint at getting back )

I guess baby_girl_ won't mind if I try to clear this things up for you...

Let me explain the "ar fi rau" part...Ian Romanian we have to types of predicates: verbal, and nominal. "Ar fi rau" is a nominal predicate, because it is formed out of a copulative verb and a predicative name.

A nominal predicate shows what the subject is like, who it is, or what it is. For example:
Mama e frumoasa.(How?)
Daniel e profesor.(What?)
Acela e Ion.(Who?)

A copulative verb is a verb that has no meaning on its own, and helps form the nominal predicate. A copulative verb can become a normal verb, depending on the sentence you find it in.
Some copulative verbs: a fi, a deveni, a ajunge, a se face, a ieşi, a rămâne, a părea, a însemna, a se naşte, a se preface, a se numi, a se chema....
Now, most of the times, these verbs are regular verbs, which form a verbal predicate. What you have to check is if they have any meaning on their own .
For example:
El s- a facut doctor. (He became a doctor.)--nominal predicate
El a facut placinte. (He baked pies.)--verbal predicate
You can use the copulative verb at any tense ( conditional, past, present, future etc.)

A predicative name is the most important part of the nominative predicate, because it's the one that tells who/what the subject is, or what it's like.
The predicative name can be :
a) an adjective (El este frumos.)
b) a noun (El e student.)
c) a pronoun (Copilul meu este acesta.)
d) an adverb (Afara este frumos.)
e) a numeral (Baietii sunt cinci.)
f) a verb (Cartea este de citit.)

So the verb "ar fi rau" is a nominal predicate...And it translates as "It wouldn't be bad if...", as you said. I know that this grammar issue is complicate (some of my classmates still have trouble with it, and they're natives, in high school ) ).

Regarding "s-o sterg acasa", this is just an expression (" a sterge-o"), that means to run/go somewhere, to flea...So that whole verse translates as "It wouldn't be bad to go home" or "It would be better to go home", as baby_girl_ said.

Hope this wasn't too confusing If anyone else can explain it better, please do

So:
Mama e frumoasa
e frumoasa = nominal predicate
e = copulative verb
frumoasa = predicative name

right?

Then I guess, ar fi = copulative verb, and rău = predicative name?
If I got it right, the textbook construction "ar fi + participiu" is a nominal predicate of just the same kind, but with a verb serving as a predicative name, and here there is an adjective instead. If not, I give up

well...You're only half right
ar fi + participiu is just the formula to form the conditional tense, and it has no connection what-so-ever to "ar fi rau"....here, the verb "a fi" isn't a regular verb, or a copulative verb, it's an auxiliary verb ...Indeed, it has no meaning on it's own, but it forms the conditional tense, so it's not copulative (It sounds veeery confusing, I know)

All right, thank you, then. I'll try to take it like a man
The last question (and the one that should've been asked in the beginning) is: is it common to use ar fi without a verb or is n-ar fi rău just a stable statement that ignores the common using of conditional? In short: will he would be stronger [if blah blah blah] be el ar fi mai tare or el ar fi fost mai tare?

Well...he would be stronger = el ar fi mai tare
he would have been stronger = el ar fi fost mai tare

Perfectly clear now.
Thanks!

Don't mention it ...