Photo Source: Musique.ados.fr
Last night as Sir Renaissance was checking the radio to make sure the alarm was set, I yelled “stop!” because I heard this song (words below – make sure you read the words first before you listen). I think this was the song that made me really fall in love with the poetry of the French language.
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I thought I’d share it for all of you who don’t yet know Mr. Brel (who, by the way, was actually Belgian). My rough translation of the song is below (updated by my husband 6 hours after my first post).
Hi honey, Here’s an updated translation. Sorry I couldn’t resist, hope it’s ok.
Ne Me Quitte Pas
Ne Me Quitte Pas
Ne me quitte pas – Don’t leave me
Il faut oublier – We have to forget,
Tout peut s’oublier – everything can be forgotten
Qui s’enfuit deja -(the memories) that have already fled.
Oublier le temps – Forget the time
Des malentendus – of misunderstandings,
Et le temps perdu – and the wasted time
A savoir comment – spent trying to know why,
Oublier ces heures – to forget these hours
Qui tuaient parfois – that sometimes killed
A coups de pourquoi – with strokes of ‘why’
Le coeur du bonheur – the heart of joy.
Ne me quitte pas (4 fois) – Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.
Moi je t’offrirai – As for me, I’ll give you
Des perles de pluie – pearls of rain
Venues de pays – coming from countries
Où il ne pleut pas – where it doesn’t rain.
Je creuserai la terre – I’ll dig into the earth
Jusqu’apres ma mort – until after I’m dead
Pour couvrir ton corps – to cover your body
D’or et de lumière – with gold and light.
Je ferai un domaine – I’ll create a land
Où l’amour sera roi – where love will be king
Où l’amour sera loi – where love will be law
Où tu seras reine – where you will be queen
Ne me quitte pas (4 fois) – Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.
Ne me quitte pas – Don’t leave me.
Je t’inventerai – I’ll invent for you
Des mots insensés – words with no meaning
Que tu comprendras – that you’ll understand.
Je te parlerai – I’ll tell you about
De ces amants là – These two lovers
Qui ont vu deux fois – Who saw (each other) twice
Leurs coeurs s’embraser – Their hearts aflame.
Je te racont’rai – I’ll tell you
L’histoire de ce roi – the story of this king
Mort de n’avoir pas – who died
Pu te rencontrer – because he couldn’t meet you.
Ne me quitte pas (4 fois) – Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.
On a vu souvent – We have often seen
Rejaillir le feu – the rekindling of the fire
De l’ancien volcan – from an ancient volcano
Qu’on croyait trop vieux – one thought was too old.
Il est paraît-il – There are apparently
Des terres brûlées – burnt lands
Donnant plus de blé – that give out more wheat
Qu’un meilleur avril – than the best April.
Et quand vient le soir – And when the evening comes
Pour qu’un ciel flamboie – and the sky is in flames
Le rouge et le noir – the red and the black,
Ne s’épousent-ils pas – don’t they marry well together?
Ne me quitte pas (4 fois) – Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.
Ne me quitte pas – Don’t leave me.
Je ne vais plus pleurer – I’m not going to cry anymore.
Je ne vais plus parler – I’m not going to speak anymore.
Je me cacherai là – I’ll stay here hidden
à te regarder – to look at you
Danser et sourire – dancing and smiling,
Et à t’écouter – to listen to you
Chanter et puis rire – singing and laughing.
Laisse-moi devenir – Let me become
L’ombre de ton ombre – the shadow of your shadow,
L’ombre de ta main – the shadow of your hand,
L’ombre de ton chien – the shadow of your dog.
Ne me quitte pas (4 fois) – Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.
Beautiful song!
Beautiful lyrics. I can see why you love this song.
Do you know what gave me the willies just now? This was a huge song in South America, too. My mother brought the album with her to the states.
Those memories just gave me the chills…
Hey, girl, 80 followers ~ woot-woot!
I love that older French music! Serge Reggiani is good too.