Translation of the song lyrics Il changeait la vie - Jean-Jacques Goldman

Il changeait la vie (original)

LA TROUPE DE ROBIN DES BOIS
C'était un cordonnier, sans rien d’particulier
Dans un village dont le nom m’a échappé
Qui faisait des souliers si jolis, si légers
Que nos vies semblaient un peu moins lourdes à porter
Il y mettait du temps, du talent et du cœur
Ainsi passait sa vie au milieu de nos heures
Et loin des beaux discours, des grandes théories
À sa tâche chaque jour, on pouvait dire de lui
Il changeait la vie
C'était un professeur, un simple professeur
Qui pensait que savoir était un grand trésor
Que tous les moins que rien n’avaient pour s’en sortir
Que l'école et le droit qu’a chacun de s’instruire
Il y mettait du temps, du talent et du cœur
Ainsi passait sa vie au milieu de nos heures
Et loin des beaux discours, des grandes théories
A sa tâche chaque jour, on pouvait dire de lui
Il changeait la vie
C'était un p’tit bonhomme, rien qu’un tout p’tit bonhomme
Malhabile et rêveur, un peu loupé en somme
Se croyait inutile, banni des autres hommes
Il pleurait sur son saxophone
Il y mit tant de temps, de larmes et de douleur
Les rêves de sa vie, les prisons de son cœur
Et loin des beaux discours, des grandes théories
Inspiré jour après jour de son souffle et de ses cris
Il changeait la vie
Il changeait la vie
Il changeait la vie
Il changeait la vie
Il changeait la vie
Il changeait, il changeait la vie
Il changeait la vie
Il changeait la vie

(translation)

THE ROBIN HOOD TROUPE
He was a shoemaker, nothing special
In a village whose name escaped me
Who made shoes so pretty, so light
That our lives seemed a little less heavy to bear
He put time, talent and heart into it
So passed his life in the midst of our hours
And far from fine speeches, from grand theories
At his task every day, you could say of him
He was life changing
He was a teacher, just a teacher
Who thought knowledge was a great treasure
That all the less than nothing had to get by
That school and the right of everyone to learn
He put time, talent and heart into it
So passed his life in the midst of our hours
And far from fine speeches, from grand theories
At his task each day, one could say of him
He was life changing
He was a little guy, just a very little guy
Clumsy and dreamy, a little missed in sum
Believed himself useless, banished from other men
He was crying on his saxophone
It took so much time, tears and pain
The dreams of her life, the prisons of her heart
And far from fine speeches, from grand theories
Inspired day after day by his breath and his cries
He was life changing
He was life changing
He was life changing
He was life changing
He was life changing
It was changing, it was life changing
He was life changing
He was life changing