| C'était un gamin, un gosse de Paris,
| He was a kid, a kid from Paris,
|
| Pour famille il n’avait qu' sa mère
| For family he only had his mother
|
| Une pauvre fille aux grands yeux rougis,
| A poor girl with big red eyes,
|
| Par les chagrins et la misère
| Through sorrows and misery
|
| Elle aimait les fleurs, les roses surtout,
| She loved flowers, especially roses,
|
| Et le cher bambin tous les dimanche
| And the dear toddler every Sunday
|
| Lui apportait de belles roses blanches,
| Brought her beautiful white roses,
|
| Au lieu d’acheter des joujoux
| Instead of buying toys
|
| La câlinant bien tendrement,
| hugging her tenderly,
|
| Il disait en les lui donnant:
| He said as he gave them to her:
|
| «C'est aujourd’hui dimanche, tiens ma jolie maman
| "Today is Sunday, hold my pretty mama
|
| Voici des roses blanches, toi qui les aime tant
| Here are white roses, you who love them so much
|
| Va quand je serai grand, j’achèterai au marchand
| Go when I grow up, I'll buy from the merchant
|
| Toutes ses roses blanches, pour toi jolie maman»
| All her white roses, for you pretty mama”
|
| Au printemps dernier, le destin brutal,
| Last spring, brutal fate,
|
| Vint frapper la blonde ouvrière
| Came hitting the blonde worker
|
| Elle tomba malade et pour l’hôpital,
| She fell ill and for the hospital,
|
| Le gamin vit partir sa mère
| The kid saw his mother go
|
| Un matin d’avril parmi les promeneurs
| An April morning among walkers
|
| N’ayant plus un sous dans sa poche
| With no money left in his pocket
|
| Sur un marché tout tremblant le pauvre mioche,
| In a trembling market the poor brat,
|
| Furtivement vola des fleurs
| Stealthily stole flowers
|
| La marchande l’ayant surpris,
| The merchant having surprised him,
|
| En baissant la tête, il lui dit:
| Lowering his head, he said to her:
|
| «C'est aujourd’hui dimanche et j’allais voir maman
| “Today is Sunday and I was going to see mum
|
| J’ai pris ces roses blanches elle les aime tant
| I took these white roses she loves them so much
|
| Sur son petit lit blanc, là-bas elle m’attend
| On her little white bed, over there she is waiting for me
|
| J’ai pris ces roses blanches, pour ma jolie maman»
| I took these white roses, for my pretty mama"
|
| La marchande émue, doucement lui dit,
| The moved merchant gently said to him,
|
| «Emporte-les je te les donne»
| "Take them I give them to you"
|
| Elle l’embrassa et l’enfant partit,
| She kissed him and the child left,
|
| Tout rayonnant qu’on le pardonne
| All beaming pardon him
|
| Puis à l’hôpital il vint en courant,
| Then to the hospital he came running,
|
| Pour offrir les fleurs à sa mère
| To give the flowers to his mother
|
| Mais en le voyant, une infirmière,
| But seeing him, a nurse,
|
| Tout bas lui dit «Tu n’as plus de maman»
| Quietly said "You don't have a mom anymore"
|
| Et le gamin s’agenouillant dit,
| And the kneeling boy said,
|
| Devant le petit lit blanc:
| In front of the little white bed:
|
| «C'est aujourd’hui dimanche, tiens ma jolie maman
| "Today is Sunday, hold my pretty mama
|
| Voici des roses blanches, toi qui les aimais tant
| Here are white roses, you who loved them so much
|
| Et quand tu t’en iras, au grand jardin là-bas
| And when you go away, to the big garden there
|
| Toutes ces roses blanches, tu les emporteras» | All those white roses, you'll take them away" |