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Micheline's Blog

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Tag Archives: English translation

Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises…

21 Thursday May 2020

Posted by michelinewalker in France, Love, War

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Antoine Renard, English translation, Franco-Prussian War, French original, Jean-Baptiste Clément, Le Temps des cerises, Manuel Cerda, Paris Commune, Salvatore Postiglione, Yves Montand

Cherry Time Salvatore Postiglione
 
Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises
When we will sing the time of cherries
Le gai rossignol et merle moqueur
The gay nightingale and the mocking blackbird
Seront tous en fête
All will rejoice
Les belles auront la folie en tête 
Pretty ladies will have crazy heads
Et les amoureux du soleil au cœur
And lovers (will have) sunny hearts
Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises
When we will sing the time of cherries
Sifflera bien mieux le merle moqueur
The mocking blackbird will whistle better
 

Mais il est bien court le temps des cerises 
But it is so short the time of cherries 
Où l’on s’en va deux cueillir en rêvant
When two go to cull while dreaming
Des pendants d’oreilles …
Pendants for the ears
Cerises d’amour aux robes pareilles
Cherries of love in dresses alike
Tombant sous la feuille en gouttes de sang
Falling through the leaves like drops of blood
Mais il est bien court le temps des cerises
But it is so short the time of cherries
Pendants de corail qu’on cueille en rêvant !
Pendants of coral one culls while dreaming
 
Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises
When you have reached the time of cherries
Si vous avez peur des chagrins d’amour.
If you fear the pain of love
Évitez les belles
Avoid (stay away from) pretty ladies
Moi qui ne crains pas les peines cruelles
I who do not fear cruel pains
Je ne vivrai point sans souffrir un jour …
I will not live without one day suffering

Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises
When you have reached the time of cherries
Vous aurez aussi des peines d’amour !
You too will have (know) the pain of love
 
J’aimerai toujours le temps des cerises
I will always love the time of cherries
C’est de ce temps-là que je garde au cœur
It is since that time that I keep in my heart
Une plaie ouverte !
An open wound

Et Dame Fortune, en m’étant offerte
And whatever (luck) Lady Fortune offers
Ne saura jamais fermer ma douleur
Will never close (soothe) my pain
J’aimerai toujours le temps des cerises
I will always love the time of cherries
Et le souvenir que je garde au cœur !
And the memories I keep in my heart
 

 

  • Jean-Baptiste Clément, music, 1866
  • Antoine Renard, lyrics, 1868
  • This song is associated with the brutally repressed Paris Commune and the Franco-Prussian War (1870). The lady would be a nurse who was killed.

RELATED ARTICLES

  • Le Temps des cerises (Manuel Cerdá)
  • Chronicling Covid-19 (15): Quebec Issues

Sources and Resources

  • Le Temps des cerises Wikipedia
  • the translation is mine

Love to everyone 💕

Yves Montand sings Le Temps des cerises (à l’Olympia, 1974)

download

Credit: Google images

© Micheline Walker
21 May 2020
WordPress

 
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Les Tendres Souhaits (Tender Wishes)

18 Saturday May 2013

Posted by michelinewalker in Art, Music

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Claire Lefilliâtre, English translation, French song, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, John William Godward, Le Poème harmonique, Pastoral, Vincent Dumestre

Godward
The Favourite, by John William Godward, 1901
John William Godward (9 August 1861 – 13 December 1922)
Photo credit: Wikipaintings
 
 

Here is a lovely little song.  The music is by Italian composer Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (4 January 1710 – 16 March 1736).  My translation is mostly literal.  So, please do not expect a beautiful poem.  I wanted to translate the words.  This song is a very simple pastoral.

  1. Que ne suis-je la fougère
  2. Où, sur la fin d’un beau jour,
  3. Se repose ma bergère
  4. Sous la garde de l’amour ? Under the watch of
  5. Que ne suis-je le zéphyr
  6. Qui rafraîchit ses appas,
  7. L’air que sa bouche respire,
  8. La fleur qui naît sous ses pas ?

Why am I not the fern/ Where, towards the end of a beautiful day,/ My shepherdess rests/ And love watches over her?/  Why am I not the gentle breeze,/ That refreshes her charms,/ The air her mouth breathes,/ The flower born under her steps.

  1. Que ne suis-je l’onde pure
  2. Qui la reçoit dans son sein ?
  3. Que ne suis-je la parure
  4. Qui la couvre après le bain ?
  5. Que ne suis-je cette glace,
  6. Où son minois répété
  7. Offre à nos yeux une grâce
  8. Qui sourit à la beauté ?

Why am I not the pure mist/ That receives her into its bosom/ Why am I not the ornament/ That covers her after her bath?/ Why am I not that mirror,/ Where her sweet little face repeats itself/ Offering to our gaze a grace/ That smiles at beauty?

  1. Que ne puis-je, par un songe,
  2. Tenir son cœur enchanté ?
  3. Que ne puis-je du mensonge
  4. Passer à la vérité ?
  5. Les dieux qui m’ont donné l’être
  6. M’ont fait trop ambitieux,
  7. Car enfin je voudrais être
  8. Tout ce qui plaît à ses yeux !

Why am I not, as in a dream,/ Holding her heart bewitched?/ And why can I not from a lie/ Go on to the truth?/ The gods who gave me life/ Made me too ambitious,/ For I would like to be/ All that pleases her eyes!

Le Poème harmonique
Vincent Dumestre
Claire Lefilliâtre
art: 
Autumn, by John William Godward, 1900 (video)
Nerissa, by John William Godward, 1906 (below video)
  
 
 
Godward-Nerissa (1)© Micheline Walker
May 18, 2013
WordPress

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