Langbeats
Le Carillonneur – Charles Aznavour

Charles Aznavour

Le Carillonneur lyrics with English translation

Language
French
Level
Intermediate
Released
1961
Genre
French Pop, Ballad
Length
2:37
  1. Mon bon Seigneur de mon vivant, j'étais valet sonneur de cloches

    My good Lord, in my lifetime, I was a bell-ringer's servant

  2. Roupillant la nuit sous les porches à la Chapelle des manants

    Napping at night under the porches at the Chapel of the peasants

  3. Cristi j'en ai carillonné, des mortibus plus qu'à bénir

    Oh Lord, I've rung the bells, more of the dead than to bless

  4. Mon Seigneur n'y pouvait suffire, Jésus m'en aura pardonné

    My Lord couldn't quite manage, Jesus must have forgiven me

  5. Je m'envolais pendu plus haut que la statue de Saint Christophe

    I soared higher than the statue of Saint Christopher, hanging on

  6. Mon froc flottant comme un drapeau

    My robe fluttering like a flag

  7. Tant que j'en faisais craquer l'étoffe

    As long as I made the fabric crackle

  8. Cristi j'en ai carillonné, Cristi j'en ai carillonné

    Oh Lord, I've rung the bells, oh Lord, I've rung the bells

  9. Cristi j'en aurais vus partir, tous seuls dans leur manteau de bois

    Oh Lord, I would have seen them depart, all alone in their wooden cloak

  10. Chacun pour la dernière fois, l'instant venu des repentirs

    Each for the last time, the moment of repentance arrived

  11. Ceux qui furent joyeux lurons dont la femme était patronnesse

    Those who were joyful rascals, whose wife was the boss,

  12. Courant de la gueuse au litron quand l'épouse écoutait la messe

    Running from the scrounger to the bottle, while the wife listened to mass.

  13. Cristi j'en aurais vus partir, Cristi j'en aurais vus partir

    Cristi, I've seen them leave, Cristi, I've seen them leave.

  14. Cristi j'en ai carillonné, des malfamés pétris d'orgueil

    Cristi, I've tolled for them, the infamous, molded by pride.

  15. Sans jamais en prendre le deuil, Jésus m'en aura pardonné

    Without ever mourning, Jesus will have forgiven me.

  16. Je les avais vus tout contents, au matin de leurs épousailles

    I had seen them all happy, on the morning of their wedding.

  17. Quand j'ai sonné leurs funérailles, je m'en balançais tout autant

    When I rang their funerals, I swung just as much.

  18. Cristi j'en ai carillonné, Cristi j'en ai carillonné

    Cristi, I've tolled for them, Cristi, I've tolled for them.

  19. Du premier jusqu'au dernier jour, toutes les messes de l'année

    From the first to the last day, all the masses of the year,

  20. Je les aurai carillonnées, repues, brisées plus qu'à mon tour

    I shall have tolled for them, well-fed, broken more than my share.

  21. J'ai sonné pour tous les copains, le moments le plus difficile

    I called all the friends, the hardest moment

  22. Quand on a la cloche facile, on peut toujours gagner son pain

    When the bell rings easily, you can always earn your bread

  23. Mon bon Seigneur de mon vivant, de mon coeur j'ai la tiré la corde

    My good Lord while I'm alive, from my heart I’ve pulled the string

  24. Vous me ferez miséricorde, je suis un peu de vos parents

    Have mercy on me, I'm a little bit of your kin

Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com

Key vocabulary

jamais
neverA1
jour
dayA1
pain
breadA1
peu
fewA1
premier
firstA1
sonné
dazedA1
tiré
pulledA1
toujours
alwaysA1
bon
goodA1
seigneur
lordB1

About this song

Charles Aznavour was a French-Armenian singer and actor whose music blended French chanson with Eastern European folk, American jazz, tango, and Middle Eastern influences. He was known for a long-running career marked by thousands of recordings and his songwriting, composing or co-composing over a thousand songs for himself and other artists.

More songs by Charles Aznavour

More Intermediate Music to Learn French

🇫🇷 Charles Aznavour

Le Carillonneur

Mon bon Seigneur de mon vivant, j'étais valet sonneur de cloches

My good Lord, in my lifetime, I was a bell-ringer's servant

Roupillant la nuit sous les porches à la Chapelle des manants

Napping at night under the porches at the Chapel of the peasants

Cristi j'en ai carillonné, des mortibus plus qu'à bénir

Oh Lord, I've rung the bells, more of the dead than to bless

Mon Seigneur n'y pouvait suffire, Jésus m'en aura pardonné

My Lord couldn't quite manage, Jesus must have forgiven me

Je m'envolais pendu plus haut que la statue de Saint Christophe

I soared higher than the statue of Saint Christopher, hanging on

Mon froc flottant comme un drapeau

My robe fluttering like a flag

Tant que j'en faisais craquer l'étoffe

As long as I made the fabric crackle

Cristi j'en ai carillonné, Cristi j'en ai carillonné

Oh Lord, I've rung the bells, oh Lord, I've rung the bells

Cristi j'en aurais vus partir, tous seuls dans leur manteau de bois

Oh Lord, I would have seen them depart, all alone in their wooden cloak

Chacun pour la dernière fois, l'instant venu des repentirs

Each for the last time, the moment of repentance arrived

Ceux qui furent joyeux lurons dont la femme était patronnesse

Those who were joyful rascals, whose wife was the boss,

Courant de la gueuse au litron quand l'épouse écoutait la messe

Running from the scrounger to the bottle, while the wife listened to mass.

Cristi j'en aurais vus partir, Cristi j'en aurais vus partir

Cristi, I've seen them leave, Cristi, I've seen them leave.

Cristi j'en ai carillonné, des malfamés pétris d'orgueil

Cristi, I've tolled for them, the infamous, molded by pride.

Sans jamais en prendre le deuil, Jésus m'en aura pardonné

Without ever mourning, Jesus will have forgiven me.

Je les avais vus tout contents, au matin de leurs épousailles

I had seen them all happy, on the morning of their wedding.

Quand j'ai sonné leurs funérailles, je m'en balançais tout autant

When I rang their funerals, I swung just as much.

Cristi j'en ai carillonné, Cristi j'en ai carillonné

Cristi, I've tolled for them, Cristi, I've tolled for them.

Du premier jusqu'au dernier jour, toutes les messes de l'année

From the first to the last day, all the masses of the year,

Je les aurai carillonnées, repues, brisées plus qu'à mon tour

I shall have tolled for them, well-fed, broken more than my share.

J'ai sonné pour tous les copains, le moments le plus difficile

I called all the friends, the hardest moment

Quand on a la cloche facile, on peut toujours gagner son pain

When the bell rings easily, you can always earn your bread

Mon bon Seigneur de mon vivant, de mon coeur j'ai la tiré la corde

My good Lord while I'm alive, from my heart I’ve pulled the string

Vous me ferez miséricorde, je suis un peu de vos parents

Have mercy on me, I'm a little bit of your kin