Translation of the song lyrics Le café des 3 Colombes - Joe Dassin

Le café des 3 Colombes (original)

LE CAFE DES TROIS COLOMBES
Paroles: Pierre Delanoe et Claude Lemesle,
musique: P. Cartner
Nancy en hiver, une neige mouillee,
Une fille rentre dans un cafe.
Moi, je bois mon verre, elle s’installe a cote,
Je ne sais pas comment l’aborder.
La pluie, le beau temps, ca n’a rien de genial,
Mais c’est bien pour forcer son etoile.
Puis vient le moment ou l’on parle de soi,
Et la neige a fondu sous nos pas.
On s’est connus au cafe des trois colombes,
Aux rendez-vous des amours sans abri.
On etait bien, on se sentait seuls au monde,
On n’avait rien, mais on avait toute la vie.
Nancy en printemps, ca ressemble au Midi.
Elle m’aime et je l’aime aussi.
On marche en parlant, on refait la philo,
Je la prends mille fois en photo.
Les petits bistrots tout autour de la place
Au soleil ont sorti leurs terrasses.
Mais il y avait trop de lumiere et de bruit,
On attendait qu’arrive la nuit.
On se voyait au cafe des trois colombes,
Aux rendez-vous des amours sans abri.
On etait bien, on se sentait seuls au monde,
On n’avait rien, mais on avait toute la vie.
Nancy, c’est tres loin, c’est au bout de la terre,
Mais j’en suis certain, mes chagrins s’en souviennent:
Le bonheur passait par la Lorraine.
Elle s’en est allae suivre d’autres chemins
Qui ne croisent pas souvent les miens,
Je t’ai oubliee, mais c’est plus fort que moi:
Il m’arrive de penser a toi…
On se voyait au cafe des trois colombes,
Aux rendez-vous des amours sans abri.
On etait bien, on se sentait seuls au monde,
On n’avait rien, mais on avait toute la vie.

(translation)

THREE COLOMBES CAFE
Lyrics: Pierre Delanoe and Claude Lemesle,
music: P. Cartner
Nancy in winter, wet snow,
A girl walks into a cafe.
Me, I drink my drink, she settles down next to her,
I don't know how to approach it.
Rain, good weather, it ain't nothing great,
But it is good to force his star.
Then comes the moment when we talk about ourselves,
And the snow melted under our feet.
We met at the café of the three doves,
At the rendezvous of homeless loves.
We were fine, we felt alone in the world,
We had nothing, but we had our whole life.
Nancy in the spring, it looks like noon.
She loves me and I love her too.
We walk talking, we redo philosophy,
I take her picture a thousand times.
Small bistros all around the square
In the sun came out their terraces.
But there was too much light and noise,
We were waiting for night to come.
We saw each other at the three doves cafe,
At the rendezvous of homeless loves.
We were fine, we felt alone in the world,
We had nothing, but we had our whole life.
Nancy, it's very far, it's at the end of the earth,
But I am certain of it, my sorrows remember it:
Happiness passed through Lorraine.
She went away to follow other paths
Who don't often cross paths with mine,
I forgot you, but it's stronger than me:
I happen to think of you...
We saw each other at the three doves cafe,
At the rendezvous of homeless loves.
We were fine, we felt alone in the world,
We had nothing, but we had our whole life.