Using a く form of an い adjective with a noun


Is it possible that there just may be a verb that is being implied? The
phrases are as follows (these are extracts of a song, so I've bolded the
phrases in question and left the continuing lyrics as they are in case they
might be of any importance):

> **白く 白く 吹雪のような** そう出逢う前から解ってた この想い

> **強く 強く 願いは強く** 繋ぐよ その手を

However when I look for translations, none of them ever present the く form as
an adverb. In fact, one of the translations even go so far as to interpret the
く forms as comparative adjectives:

> Whiter and whiter, like a blizzard

> Stronger and stronger, my wishes get stronger

I'm not sure why it's translated as a comparative adjective, and if it does
mean something like "White, white, like a blizzard," could the phrase have
been written as "白い 白い 吹雪のような" instead?

And the second line says "My wishes **get stronger** ", but the "get" part is
missing. Could it be that there is actually a になる phrase that is only implied?




### Background: problematic circumstances for understanding

Poetry is a really difficult format for trying to learn any language,
precisely because poetry uses different structures and omits various things.

In addition, translation is a _**terrible**_ way to try to understand the
mechanics of any source language, precisely because the process of translation
unavoidably results in different grammar and mechanics in the target language.

### Looking more closely at the text

In your sample, the 白く is adverbial, applying not to the noun, but rather to
the overall line / sentence. Note too that whitespace is not a common feature
in written Japanese -- so if someone is adding spaces, it's meant more like
punctuation.

Let's break it down, word by word.

> [白く]{whitely } [白く]{whitely } [吹雪]{blizzard }[の]{[POSS] }[よう]{likeness
> }[な]{[MOD] } [そう]{that way }[出逢う]{encounter }[前]{before }[から]{from
> }[解って]{understanding/knowing }[た]{was } [この]{this }[想い]{thought/feeling }  
>  ↑  
>  whitely, whitely, like a blizzard, knowing it from before meeting like
> that, this feeling

The _whitely_ here isn't necessarily limited in scope to just the blizzard,
but instead kind of sets the mood or scenery for the whole line.

Your second line:

> [強く]{strongly } [強く]{strongly } [願い]{wish/desire }[は]{[TOPIC] }[強く]{strongly
> } [繋ぐ]{tie together }[よ]{[EMPH]} [その]{that/those }[手]{hand(s) }[を]{[OBJ]}  
>  ↑  
>  strongly, strongly, the wishes/desires (are strong / strongly)*, [I?] tie
> [them] together! those hands

Here again, the _strongly_ isn't necessarily limited in scope. Also, we have
some poetic license, deliberately mixing things to allow for additional
allusions and associations.

The asterisk here points out this key phrase. Sometimes an adverbial form is
used conjunctively. In teaching materials for English-language readers, we are
often taught that the conjunctive ("this _and_ [something else]") form for
"-i" adjectives needs to be ～くて, but in reality, folks sometimes use just ～く.

In the line of the poem, this phrase about the "wishes" or "desires" could be
interpreted two ways -- as a separate statement using the conjunctive
adverbial, wherein the speaker / poet is stating that their "wish/desire"
simply is "strong, and...", or mixed into the rest of the line, wherein
somehow the "wish/desire" is being strongly tied together with the hands,
perhaps alluding to getting married. I suspect that both interpretations are
intended, and that the ambiguity is deliberate.

### Initial questions

Let's loop back to what you specifically asked.

> Is it possible that there just may be a verb that is being implied?

Absolutely, that is possible. As poetry, though, that may have been
deliberately omitted. Sometimes too, an adverb is used to establish the "mood"
or "scene" for the current context. Consider English adverbial phrases used to
start a sentence, such as _" like the dawning of the day,..."_ or even just _"
surprisedly,..."_ I suspect that is how the adverbs are being used here.

> I'm not sure why it's translated as a comparative adjective

I'm not either. I suspect the translator was taking a few liberties to try to
create the target-language text. There's nothing here that implies any
comparison, or any change in degree of adjectiveness.

> ... and if it does mean something like "White, white, like a blizzard,"
> could the phrase have been written as "白い 白い 吹雪のような" instead?

It _could_ , but the meaning does shift in doing so -- the scope of meaning
for 白い would be limited to the 吹雪. Again, 白く 白く is not necessarily describing
the blizzard, and appears to be coloring the entire scene and context. Even
the 想い, implying a blankness or emptiness.

> And the second line says "My wishes get stronger", but the "get" part is
> missing. Could it be that there is actually a になる phrase that is only
> implied?

No, the translation here is off. There's nothing at all in the source text
about getting or becoming stronger. The 強く is describing either 1) the 願い
themselves, 2) the manner in which その手 should be 繋ぐ-ed, or 3) both.

### Notes

I'd like to comment again that poetry is difficult to interpret even in one's
mother tongue, and poetry in translation is, unfortunately, an awful way to
try to learn another language. If you're looking at this as a way of
understanding the process of translating poetry, this is great exercise! :) If
you're trying to understand the Japanese by looking at the translation, I'd
recommend avoiding poetry altogether. If you're trying to understand
techniques of expression in Japanese by looking at Japanese poetry, that's
difficult, but potentially rewarding advanced stuff -- just don't get caught
up in the translation.

* * *

Please comment if the above does not address your question.

