| À l’heure où les étoiles tombent
| When the stars are falling
|
| Il creuse la sienne
| He digs his own
|
| Plus pâle qu’une ombre
| paler than a shadow
|
| Qui boit de la verveine
| Who drinks verbena
|
| Il chante il chante
| He sings he sings
|
| Mais c’est l’air de la mer
| But it's the air of the sea
|
| Qui bientôt le tourmente
| Which soon torments him
|
| Et lui vole sa prière
| And steals his prayer
|
| Il chante il chante
| He sings he sings
|
| Mais c’est l’air de la mer
| But it's the air of the sea
|
| Qui bientôt le tourmente
| Which soon torments him
|
| Et lui vole sa prière
| And steals his prayer
|
| Depuis qu’il a vu l’jour
| Since he was born
|
| Il a trimardé sur terre
| He trekked on earth
|
| Mais il a pas eu plus d’amour
| But he got no more love
|
| Qu’un sac de pommes de terre
| Than a bag of potatoes
|
| Il chante il chante
| He sings he sings
|
| Mais c’est de l’eau amère
| But it's bitter water
|
| Qui lui coule ardente
| which flows ardently to him
|
| Brûlure à ses paupières
| Burning to his eyelids
|
| Il chante il chante
| He sings he sings
|
| Mais c’est de l’eau amère
| But it's bitter water
|
| Qui lui coule ardente
| which flows ardently to him
|
| Brûlure à ses paupières
| Burning to his eyelids
|
| Ses vieux l’ont pas r’connu
| His old people didn't recognize him
|
| Alors il est allé s’fair' voir
| So he went to fuck off
|
| Par le monde et ses rues
| By the world and its streets
|
| Il a mangé son pain noir
| He ate his black bread
|
| — On peut pas tout avoir…
| - We can not have it all…
|
| Ouais mais quand on a rien eu
| Yeah but when we got nothing
|
| Et nul n’a répondu
| And no one answered
|
| Quand il voulait savoir
| When he wanted to know
|
| Et son coeur s’est fendu
| And his heart broke
|
| D’essuyer tant d’déboires
| To suffer so many setbacks
|
| Il est tombé des nues
| He fell from the clouds
|
| Il s’est même fait trottoir
| He even got sidewalk
|
| Puis porté disparu
| Then reported missing
|
| Par des gens trop bavards
| By people who are too talkative
|
| — Chacun vaut son voisin…
| "Each is equal to his neighbour..."
|
| Sauf quand c’est un vaurien
| Except when he's a scoundrel
|
| Battant pavé et breloque
| Pavé and Charm Leaf
|
| Il a le scorbut à l'âme
| He's got scurvy in his soul
|
| Et son coeur soliloque
| And his heart soliloquizes
|
| Sans but le pauvre diable
| Aimless the poor devil
|
| Il a la têt' tordue
| He's got a twisted head
|
| Essoré d’une oreille
| Wrung from one ear
|
| C’est pas d’avoir trop bu
| It's not to have drunk too much
|
| C’est d'être né bouteille
| It's to be born in a bottle
|
| Il chante il chante
| He sings he sings
|
| Il voulait boire la mer
| He wanted to drink the sea
|
| Qui sur ses joues serpente
| Which on her cheeks winds
|
| Les soirs de trop d’misère
| The evenings of too much misery
|
| Il chante il chante
| He sings he sings
|
| Il voulait boire la mer
| He wanted to drink the sea
|
| Qui sur ses joues serpente
| Which on her cheeks winds
|
| Les soirs de trop d’misère
| The evenings of too much misery
|
| La mer la mer
| The sea the sea
|
| C’est elle qui le hante
| She's the one haunting him
|
| Dans son coeur une arrière
| In her heart a rear
|
| Saison d'écume qui chante
| Singing foam season
|
| Dans l’miroir aux étoiles
| In the mirror to the stars
|
| DAns l’océan sa planque
| In the ocean his hideout
|
| D’alouette en cavale
| Lark on the run
|
| Il a jeté son ancre
| He dropped his anchor
|
| Il chante il chante
| He sings he sings
|
| Mais c’est bientôt la mer
| But it's soon the sea
|
| Qui vient couvrir sa plainte
| Who comes to cover his complaint
|
| Au creux d’sa dernière bière
| In the hollow of his last beer
|
| Il chante il chante
| He sings he sings
|
| Son chant de vagabond
| His wanderer's song
|
| C’est maintenant la mer
| It's now the sea
|
| Qui roule sa chanson
| Who rolls his song
|
| Qui roule sa chanson | Who rolls his song |