Translation of the song lyrics A la Villette - Aristide Bruant

A la Villette (original)

Il avait pas encor' vingt ans
I' connaissait pas ses parents
On l’appelait Toto Laripette
A la Villette
Il était un peu sans façon
Mais c'était un joli garçon:
C'était l’pus beau, c'était l’pus chouette
A la Villette
Il était pas c’qui a d’mieux mis
Il avait pas des beaux habits
I' s’rattrapait su' sa casquette
A la Villette
Il avait des p’tits yeux d’souris
Il avait deux p’tits favoris
Surmontés d’eun' fin' rouflaquette
A la Villette
Y en avait pas deux comm' lui pour
Vous parler d’sentiment, d’amour;
Y avait qu’lui pour vous fair' risette
A la Villette
Il avait un gros chien d’bouvier
Qu’avait eun' gross' gueul' de terrier
On peut pas avoir eun' levette
A la Villette
Quand i' m’avait foutu des coups
I' m’demandait pardon, à g’noux
I' m’appelait sa p’tit' gigolette
A la Villette
De son métier i' faisait rien
Dans l' jour i' balladait son chien
La nuit i' rinçait la cuvette
A la Villette
I' f’sait l’lit qu' i' défaisait pas
Mais l’soir, quand je r’tirais mon bas
C’est lui qui comptait la galette
A la Villette
Quéqu'fois, quand j’faisait les boul’vards
I' dégringolait les pochards
Avec le p’tit homme à Toinette
A la Villette
I' m’aimait autant que j' l’aimais
Nous nous aurions quitté jamais
Si la police était pas faite
A la Villette
Y a des nuits oùsque les sergots
Les ramass’nt, comm' des escargots
D’la ru' d' Flande à la Chopinette
A la Villette
Qu’on l’prenn' grand ou petit, rouge ou brun
On peut pas en conserver un:
I' s’en vont tous à la Roquette
A la Villette
La dernièr' fois que je l’ai vu
Il avait l’torse à moitié nu
Et le cou pris dans la lunette
A la Roquette

A la Villette (translation)

He wasn't yet twenty
I didn't know his parents
We called him Toto Laripette
At La Villette
He was a bit casual
But he was a pretty boy:
It was the most beautiful, it was the most owl
At La Villette
He was not the best
He didn't have nice clothes
He was catching up on his cap
At La Villette
He had little mouse eyes
He had two little favorites
Topped with a 'fin' rouflaquette
At La Villette
There weren't two like him for
Talk to you about feelings, about love;
There was only him to make you smile
At La Villette
He had a big cattle dog
What was a big-mouthed terrier
We can't have a doggie
At La Villette
When he had kicked me
I asked me for forgiveness, on my knees
He called me his little gigolette
At La Villette
From his profession he did nothing
During the day he walked his dog
At night he rinsed the bowl
At La Villette
I don't know the bed that I didn't undo
But in the evening, when I took off my stockings
He was the one counting the pancake
At La Villette
Sometimes, when I was doing the boul’vards
I' was tumbling down the drunks
With the little man in Toinette
At La Villette
I loved me as much as I loved him
We would never have left each other
If the police wasn't done
At La Villette
There are nights when the sergots
Pick them up, like snails
From the ru' d' Flande to the Chopinette
At La Villette
Whether we take it big or small, red or brown
You can't save one:
I' are all going to Rocket
At La Villette
The last time I saw him
He had a half-naked torso
And neck caught in the scope
At La Roquette