landevejenes farende svende

English translation: Homeless wanderers, tramps (UK)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Danish term or phrase:landevejenes farende svende
English translation:Homeless wanderers, tramps (UK)
Entered by: Christine Andersen

20:12 May 13, 2013
Danish to English translations [PRO]
Tourism & Travel
Danish term or phrase: landevejenes farende svende
"U2 møder du alle slags mennesker: Unge kvinder med tofarvet år, stramme jeans og schæferhund, landevejenes farende svende, tjekkede storbyrotter, turister, sure kontrollører og syngende, dansede, rappende fattigfolk, der alle forsøger at slå dig for en euro"

From an article about Berlin. Any suggestions gratefully received.
york_iam
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:22
Homeless wanderers
Explanation:
homeless wanderers, possibly tramps if you are writing UK English.

Some are street performers and play music or do conjuring tricks or other acts.

Although possibly shabby and down and out, they are not always destitute. Some manage to keep themselves clean and respectable, performing in elaborate costumes. An old pram is good for transporting their possessions!

A man who turned up in the Aarhus area lived on his pension, but played a hurdy gurdy, never more than an hour in one place, though he might not move far before starting to play again...
He used to buy himself a cup of hot chocolate in a café on cold days, but gave quite considerable sums of the money people dropped into his hat to charity. I wonder if he will turn up again this summer - or whether he has finally given up.

'Rottekongen' Cibrino used to turn up regularly where I live, to the delight of my son and his friends...
http://www.gravsted.dk/person.php?navn=cibrino

Gyldendals suggests 'knights of the road', but I am not sure this is quite what I would say.

Originally, a farende svend was a travelling journeyman, who had completed his apprenticeship and taken to the road ´på valsen´. They were members of the tradesmen's guilds, and were entitled to a meal and lodgings for the night, but had to move on if they did not find work.

Selected response from:

Christine Andersen
Denmark
Local time: 16:22
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5vagabonds
Marianne Ajana
4Homeless wanderers
Christine Andersen
3rolling stones
564354352 (X)


  

Answers


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Homeless wanderers


Explanation:
homeless wanderers, possibly tramps if you are writing UK English.

Some are street performers and play music or do conjuring tricks or other acts.

Although possibly shabby and down and out, they are not always destitute. Some manage to keep themselves clean and respectable, performing in elaborate costumes. An old pram is good for transporting their possessions!

A man who turned up in the Aarhus area lived on his pension, but played a hurdy gurdy, never more than an hour in one place, though he might not move far before starting to play again...
He used to buy himself a cup of hot chocolate in a café on cold days, but gave quite considerable sums of the money people dropped into his hat to charity. I wonder if he will turn up again this summer - or whether he has finally given up.

'Rottekongen' Cibrino used to turn up regularly where I live, to the delight of my son and his friends...
http://www.gravsted.dk/person.php?navn=cibrino

Gyldendals suggests 'knights of the road', but I am not sure this is quite what I would say.

Originally, a farende svend was a travelling journeyman, who had completed his apprenticeship and taken to the road ´på valsen´. They were members of the tradesmen's guilds, and were entitled to a meal and lodgings for the night, but had to move on if they did not find work.



Christine Andersen
Denmark
Local time: 16:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
rolling stones


Explanation:
Found in Ordbogen.com.

Traditionally, 'farende svende' were not aimless vagabonds, but tradesmen living an independent life travelling on foot across the country, picking up work where they could find it. So it has a more positive connotation than 'vagabond'.

564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 16:22
Native speaker of: Danish
PRO pts in category: 20
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
vagabonds


Explanation:
It is a poetic euphemism.

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Note added at 11 hrs (2013-05-14 07:55:38 GMT)
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Se http://www.landevejsridder.dk/#

Marianne Ajana
Denmark
Local time: 16:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in DanishDanish
PRO pts in category: 4
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