Monday, December 13, 2010

Much needed Monday motivation: « À Bicyclette »

My partner in artsy-things-and-silent-film crimes, sent me this link the other day which he so nicely included the lyrics +translations. So cute, now I need a little Campari mid-day cocktail and close my eyes imagining I'm at his concert.
Yves Montand, Olympia 1981

 
« À Bicyclette » “By Bicycle”
Quand on partait de bon matin When we left early in the morning
Quand on partait sur les chemins When we left on the roads
À bicyclette By bicycle
Nous étions quelques bons copains We were a few good friends
Y avait Fernand y avait Firmin There was Fernand and Firmin
Y avait Francis et Sébastien There was Francis and Sébastien
Et puis Paulette And then Paulette.

On était tous amoureux d'elle We were all in love with her
On se sentait pousser des ailes We felt like we were growing wings
À bicyclette On our bicycles.
Sur les petits chemins de terre On these little dirt roads
On a souvent vécu l'enfer We often went through hell
Pour ne pas mettre pied à terre To not dismount
Devant Paulette In front of Paulette.

Faut dire qu'elle y mettait du cœur I must say that she really put her heart into it
C'était la fille du facteur She was the daughter of the postman
À bicyclette On a bicycle.
Et depuis qu'elle avait huit ans And ever since she was eight
Elle avait fait en le suivant She followed him around
Tous les chemins environnants All the neighborhood roads
À bicyclette By bicycle.

Quand on approchait la rivière When we approached the river
On déposait dans les fougères We left in the ferns
Nos bicyclettes Our bicycles.
Puis on se roulait dans les champs Then we rolled in the fields
Faisant naître un bouquet changeant   Giving life to a changing bouquet
De sauterelles, de papillons Of grasshoppers, butterflies,
Et de rainettes and tree frogs.

Quand le soleil à l'horizon When the sun on the horizon
Profilait sur tous les buissons Cast over the bushes
Nos silhouettes Our silhouettes
On revenait fourbus contents We returned exhausted and content
Le cœur un peu vague pourtant Yet the heart a bit vague
De n'être pas seul un instant Because we never had a moment alone
Avec Paulette With Paulette.

Prendre furtivement sa main To furtively take her hand
Oublier un peu les copains To forget the others a little
La bicyclette The bicycle.
On se disait c'est pour demain We tell ourselves that’s for tomorrow
J'oserai, j'oserai demain I will dare to, I will dare to tomorrow
Quand on ira sur les chemins When we go on the roads
À bicyclette By bicycle.

7 comments:

  1. That is great, it sounds like riding a bicycle. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Like a leisurely stroOoOoOoooll...

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  3. I like the rhyming of bicyclete and Paulette

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  4. Love thuis! Going post it on my blog as well! Thank you!

    Grtz,


    Susanne

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  5. O Yves, tu me fais chaud au coeur... Bises bises bises!

    And yay for decent translations!!

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  6. aw yes <333 yalll welcome!
    i could view this video on a daily basis!! =)

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