Charles Trenet
Cœur de palmier lyrics with English translation
- Language
- French
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1949
- Genre
- Chanson
- Length
- 3:03
Cœur de palmier
Heart of palm
Jadis sous l'soleil des tropiques
Once under the tropical sun
Un jeun' Français sous-officier
A young French non-commissioned officer
Rencontra par une nuit magique
Met on a magical night
Une belle enfant: Cœur de palmier .
A beautiful girl: Heart of palm.
Il lui dit: Je t'adore
He said to her: I adore you
Mon amour, mon trésor.
My love, my treasure.
Mais la belle fut rebelle à ses vœux
But the beauty was rebellious to his vows
Et perfide, elle fuit
And deceitful, she fled
Un beau jour pour Paris,
One fine day to Paris,
C'est d'puis lorsqu'il redit chaque nuit:
It's since then he whispers every night:
1er refrain
First chorus
Cœur de palmier
Heart of palm
Du Sahara,
From the Sahara,
Pigeon ramier
Wood pigeon
Tu reviendras.
You will return.
Ton amoureux
Your lover
T'attend là-bas,
Is waiting over there,
Bien malheureux
So very unhappy
Dans la Casbah.
In the Casbah.
Le soleil augmente sa fièvre,
The sun rises, its fever grows,
Sa soif ardente est de tes lèvres,
Its fiery thirst is for your lips,
Prends en pitié
Take pity on
Son cœur très las.
Its weary heart.
Cœur de palmier
Heart of palm
Du Sahara,
From the Sahara,
Pigeon ramier
Wood pigeon,
Tu reviendras.
You will return.
Cœur de palmier
Heart of palm,
Un jour, c'est lui qui t'aura.
One day, it will be him who has you.
Mais un soir la bataille fait rage,
But one evening the battle rages,
C'est le baroud dans la Casbah.
It's the last stand in the Casbah.
Guito n'écoute que son courage,
Guito listens only to his courage,
Car le chagrin l'a mis très bas.
For sorrow has brought him low.
On d'mande un volontaire
They ask for a volunteer,
Il part vif comm'l'éclair.
He leaves quick as lightning.
Il arrive au bastion d'la Légion.
He arrives at the Legion's bastion.
L'colonel ébloui
The colonel, dazzled,
Le décor' la même nuit,
The scene the very night,
C'est alors qu'il chante pour ses amis:
It's then that he sings for his friends:
2e refrain
2nd chorus
Cœur de palmier
Heart of palm
Du Sahara,
From the Sahara,
Pigeon ramier
Wood pigeon
Oui c'est pour toi,
Yes, it's for you,
Pour te prouver
To prove to you
Tout mon amour,
All my love,
Que j'ai risqué
That I risked
Ma vie ce jour.
My life that day.
Mais que m'importent blessures et fièvre
But what do wounds and fever matter to me
Ce que je veux, ce sont tes lèvres.
What I want are your lips.
J'ai tant d'espoir
I have so much hope
De désir fou,
For wild desire,
Que pour te voir
That just to see you
Je donn'rai tout,
I'll give everything,
Car je suis tien,
For I am yours,
Mon cœur est lié À toi pour toujours mon bien,
My heart is tied to you forever, my love,
Cœur de palmier.
Heart of palm.
Mais au cœur de Paris volage,
But in the fickle heart of Paris,
Cœur de palmier a vite perdu,
The heart of palm has quickly lost,
Après trois mois d'apprentissage,
After three months of learning,
Sa jolie mine et sa vertu.
Her lovely face and her virtue.
De Pigalle à Clichy,
From Pigalle to Clichy,
Dans tout' les boît's de nuit,
In all the nightclubs,
Elle rit, puis un soir, à Saint-Louis
She laughs, then one evening, in Saint-Louis,
On l'emporte, c'est la fin.
They carry her away, it's the end.
Quel tragique destin.
What a tragic fate.
Le docteur dit en prenant sa main:
The doctor says, taking her hand:
3e refrain
3rd chorus
Cœur de palmier
Heart of palm
Du Sahara
From the Sahara
Pigeon ramier
Wood pigeon
Qu'as-tu fait là?
What have you done there?
Ton amoureux
Your lover
Se meurt là-bas,
Is dying over there,
Bien malheureux
Very unhappy
Dans la Casbah
In the Casbah
Il n'a pas pour calmer sa fièvre
He has nothing to calm his fever
L'dernier baiser d'amour d'tes lèvres...
The last kiss of love from your lips...
Et séparés
And separated
Loin de vos bras
Far from your arms
Désespérés
Desperate
Chacun ira,
Each will go,
Pigeons ramiers
Wood pigeons
Du Sahara,
From the Sahara,
Cœurs de palmier,
Hearts of palm,
Vers la mort qui vous prendra.
Towards the death that will take you.
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Key vocabulary
- puis
- thenA1
- quel
- whichA1
- prouver
- proveA2
- lèvres
- lipsB1
- pitié
- pityB1
- cœur
- heartA1
- palmier
- palmB2
- jadis
- onceB2
- tropiques
- tropics
- jeun
- youngB2
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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.