
Charles Aznavour
Le Carillonneur lyrics with English translation
- Language
- French
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1961
- Genre
- French Pop, Ballad
- Length
- 2:37
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
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.