Translating across multiple borders: The concept of the border in singable translation exemplified by a Polish translation of the song ‘Good Morning Starshine’

Resumo

This paper mobilizes the concept of the semiotic border, as introduced by Yuri Lotman, in the analysis of the Polish singable translation of ‘Good morning, starshine’, a song from the rock musical Hair (1967). The border is understood here not so much as a line of demarcation, but rather as a line of connection, which creates a space of tension, and hence translatability. As translation occurs in a specific context and manifests itself through its own materiality, it is determined by multiple borders. The analysis of the case study demonstrates that the song text was reinterpreted at various levels resulting from specific sources of tension. With that in mind, the paper argues that translation is a semiotic process determined by a network of relevant borders.