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Quality Lyrics Translation + Free French Lesson
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Below is the simple lyrics translation. For the French lesson based on these lyrics, see below left.
PART ONE C'est une histoire qui a pour lieu It's a story which has for location/setting/place OR This is a story which takes place (in) Paris la belle en l'an de Dieu Paris 'the beauty' in the year of our lord OR The lovely Paris in the year of our lord OR fair Paris in the year of our lord Mil-quatre-cent-quatre-vingt-deux 1482 OR Fourteen hundred and Eighty Two Histoire d'amour et de désir Story of love and of desire CONTINUED BELOW PART TWO
Nous les artistes anonymes Us the anonymous artists De la sculpture ou de la rime of sculpture or of rhyme OR of sculpures or of rhymes OR of the sculpture or of the rhyme (you cans substitute verse(s) or poem(s) for rhyme(s) in each of these) Tenterons de vous la transcrire Will attempt to transcribe it for you OR Will try to transcribe it for you Pour les siécles à venir For the centuries to come CONTINUED BELOW PART THREE
(first half of chorus) Il est venu le temps des cathédrales It has come; the time of cathedrals OR It has arrived; the age of cathedrals OR It has arrived; the epoch of cathedrals OR The era of cathedrals is upon us. Le monde est entré The world has entered Dans un nouveau millénaire into a new millenium PART FOUR
(second half of chorus) L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles Man has wanted to climb towards the stars OR Mankind has wanted to ascend towards the stars OR (you could substited 'wanted' for 'has wanted' in all of these) Ecrire son histoire To write his story/history Dans le verre ou dans la pierre In the glass or in the stone OR In glass or in stone PART FIVE
Pierre après pierre, jour après jour Stone after stone, day after day De siècle en siècle avec amour From century to century, with love Il a vu s'élever les tours He has seen rise the towers OR He has seen raised the towers OR He has seen the towers rise Qu'il avait bâti de ses mains That he has built with his hands PART SIX
Les poètes et les troubadours The poets and the troubadours Ont chanté des chansons d'amour Have sung songs of love OR Sang songs of love Qui promettaient au genre humain Which would promise to the human race OR Which promised to mankind De meilleurs lendemains Better tomorows OR Better day-afters OR Better days to come PART SEVEN Repetition of PART THREE (chorus) x 2 PART EIGHT
(first half of second chorus) Il est foutu le temps des cathédrales The age/era (..etc) of cathedrals is screwed OR ...is stuffed/damned/b*ggered/ruined OR ... is over/gone La foule des barbares The mob of barbarians OR The barbarian hoard Est aux portes de la ville Is at the city gates OR Is at the doors/entrance of the town/city PART NINE
(second half of second chorus) Laissez entrer ces païens, ces vandales Let them enter, these pagans, these vandales La fin de ce monde The end of this world Est prévue pour l'an deux-mille Is envisaged for the year 2000 OR Has been forseen/planned/predicted/envisaged/heralded for the year 2000 Est prévue pour l'an deux-mille (see above) My Spotify Playlists Now for a musical interlude. Like French music? The following is a link to my Spotify playlist of all the French language songs that I listen to when I'm working on this site, just to get me in the mood. It's a long one so listen to it on shuffle mode and you'll get the best French music radio station that never was. Not signed up to Spotify yet? Its free and you can listen to pretty much any music out-there so why dawdle. I basically live on it when writing. See also my Spotify Playlist of Spanish Language Songs. and My playlist of the top 100 French Language Songs of All Time FREE FRENCH LESSON BEGINNER-INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Edith Piaf Je Ne Regrette Rien Probably the only French song that the average Joe knows. Well, at least it's a good one. Emotionally charged and yet short and simple song, and hence good for beginners. No extremely metaphorical lyrics, just nice and direct, which helps. (1960) FREE FRENCH LESSON BEGINNER-INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus Very very naughty. The controversial French lyrical genius begat a controversial sexy French song. You all know this one so there's not much more for me to add... except, if you thought it was a tad risqué beforehand, just wait until you understand the 'ins and outs' (ha ha!/ lol) of the lyrics. (1969) FREE FRENCH LESSON BEGINNER-INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Claude François Comme D'habitude Confession: I hate every song this artist ever did except this one which was truly a chef d'oeuvre. After being seen on TV by a Canadian artist, the song was bought and its lyrics re-written in English once the song had been given a totally different theme. The finished product was then sung by Frank Sinatra and thus was born: 'I Did It My Way' LOTS OF GRAMMAR NOTES (1967) FREE FRENCH LESSON BEGINNER-INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Indila Dernière Danse This was on the free to view music channels every morning for the whole of spring 2014. A hit that came out of nowhere which now has 73 million YouTube hits. Vevo wouldn't let me use the official video so I used an excellent remix in place. (burn-Vevo-burn) (2014) FREE FRENCH LESSON BEGINNER-INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Zaz Je Veux This was the song that led to Zaz becoming Frances top selling artist abroad in 2010 (or was it another year?) The album from which it came (called Zaz as it happens) ranked high in the charts all over Europe (except, of course, the UK). Simple but potent lyrics whose meaning hit home with me. Plenty of slang phrases within so if you need to work on that then this is your song. (2010) FREE FRENCH LESSON INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Stromae Papaoutai Recent hit all over europe and the world (152 million YouTube Hits) by the now established king of electro-urban-geek music. This song is not the easiest of ones but has a very strong lyrical narrative, if not message (as do all his songs) (2013) FREE FRENCH LESSON INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Benjamin Biolay Ton Héritage Modern Classic Chanson Française. One man, one piano, one haunting tune, and a bunch of stirring lines. This one always gives me goose pimples when I hear it on the radio. The word for word translations are there but I have left it light on the grammar notes. (2009) FREE FRENCH LESSON INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Jacques Brel Ne Me Quitte Pas This song is considered by many to be the all time greatest chanson française that has ever existed. Always at the top of meta-critic polls and a personal favorite of my own (I only do songs that I like). It's an oldie (circa 1959) and yet so timeless... P.s. I have done the phonetics for this one (1959) FREE FRENCH LESSON INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED LEVEL Malicorne Le Luneux From the album Almanach, this traditional French folk song reconstructed by the experimental headonism of Malicorne in the late seventies will make you shiver with delight. I'm not sure whether the melody came from another song, but who cares when it's this good. Some oldie style wording but my notes will help you understand it. (1977?) FREE FRENCH LESSON INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED LEVEL Olivia Ruiz La Femme Chocolat Unique voice, unique style of music, unique lyrics and unique looks help this artist stand far out from the often samey nouvelle scene crowd. This particular song demonstrates well her quirkiness with lyrics that are just damnright trippy. Level: at least intermediate. (2006) |