Charles Trenet
Aux fontaines de la cloche lyrics with English translation
- Language
- French
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1986
- Genre
- Chanson
- Length
- 2:55
Aux fontaines de la cloche
At the fountains of the bell
Aux fontaines de la cloche
At the fountains of the bell
M'en allant promener
As I strolled along
J'ai trouvé l'eau si moche
I found the water so foul
Que je m'en suis allé
That I wandered away
Il y a longtemps que ces roches
For a long time these rocks
Recueillent de l'eau troublée...
Have gathered troubled water...
Tout n'était que guenilles
All was just rags
Et membres frémissants
And quivering limbs
Faux garçons, fausses filles
Fake boys, fake girls
Tristes adolescents
Sad adolescents
Il y a longtemps que tu frimes
It's been a long time since you swaggered
Jamais je n'ai fait semblant.
Never have I pretended.
J'ai compris que leur mode
I've understood that their way
Leur modus Vivendi
Their modus vivendi
Étaient aux antipodes
Was worlds apart
Des amours de jadis.
From the loves of yesteryear.
Il y a longtemps que je rôde
It's been a long time since I've been lurking
Amen et De Profundis
Amen and De Profundis
Les blousons de la haine
The jackets of hate
Cachaient de pauvres cœurs
Hiding away poor hearts
Que Rimbaud et Verlaine
That Rimbaud and Verlaine
Auraient pris comme leurs
Would have claimed as their own
Il y a longtemps que je peine
It's been long since I've struggled
Ton cœur n'était qu'un voleur.
Your heart was nothing but a thief.
La crasse, la déroute
The filth, the downfall
Stagnaient sur leur chemin
Lingered on their path
Ils avaient pris la route
They had taken the road
Triste, sans lendemain
Sad, with no tomorrow
Il y a longtemps que je doute
It's been long since I've doubted
Du sort des mains dans les mains.
From the fate of hands in hands.
Mais leurs visages d'ange
But their angelic faces
Fleurissaient malgré tout
Bloomed despite everything
Malgré toute la fange
Despite all the filth
Qui sortait des égouts
That came out of the sewers.
Il y a longtemps que je range
It's been a long time since I've put away
Fausses couleurs et faux goûts...
False colors and false tastes...
Croyaient-ils en extase
Did they believe in ecstasy
Qu'ils vivaient par Villon
That they lived like Villon
Et que dans cette vase
And that in this vase
Ils tenaient leur salon.
They were hosting their salon.
Il y a longtemps que mes phrases
It's been a long time since my words
N'ont plus cours, et c'est selon
Have been in circulation, and it's up to
Lors je les laissais faire
When I let them go on their way
Pensant ils sont heureux
Thinking they are happy
Chacun son atmosphère
Each in their own atmosphere
La leur faite par eux.
Theirs created by themselves.
Il y a longtemps que j'espère
It's been a long time that I hope for
Le temps des vrais amoureux.
The time of true lovers.
Coda
J'ai fui cette fontaine
I fled from that fountain
Sans charme, sans attrait,
Without charm, without allure,
En chantant des poèmes
Singing poems
Que nul ne comprenait.
That no one understood.
Il y a longtemps que je t'aime
I've loved you for so long
Jamais je ne reviendrai.
I will never return.
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- nul
- uselessA1
- peine
- painA1
- plus
- moreA1
- promener
- to strollA1
- route
- roadA1
- salon
- living roomA1
- selon
- accordingA1
- sort
- luckA1
- temps
- timeA1
- tout
- allA1
Test yourself
How much of Aux fontaines de la cloche did you catch?
A quick quiz on the key words from this song.
About this song
Charles Trenet was a French singer-songwriter associated with French chanson, active for more than 60 years. He wrote both music and lyrics for nearly 1,000 songs, including “La Mer,” and collaborated with musicians Michel Emer and Léo Chauliac.