Édith Piaf
Bravo pour le clown ! lyrics with English translation
- Language
- French
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1953
- Genre
- Ballad, French Pop
- Length
- 3:07
Un clown est mon ami
A clown is my friend
Un clown bien ridicule
A clown so ridiculous
Et dont le nom s'écrit en gifles majuscules
And whose name is written in uppercase slaps
Pas beau pour un empire
Not pretty for an empire
Plus triste qu'un chapeau
Sadder than a hat
Il boit d'énormes rires
He drinks huge laughs
Et mange des bravos
And eats applause
Pour ton nez qui s'allume
For your nose that lights up
Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo! Bravo!
Tes cheveux que l'on plume
Your hair that gets plucked
Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo! Bravo!
Tu croques des assiettes
You bite into plates
Assis sur un jet d'eau
Sitting on a fountain
Tu ronges des paillettes
You nibble on sparkles
Tordu dans un tonneau
Twisted in a barrel
Pour ton nez qui s'allume
For your nose that lights up
Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo! Bravo!
Tes cheveux que l'on plume
Your hair that we pluck
Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo! Bravo!
La foule aux grandes mains
The crowd with big hands
S'accroche à ses oreilles
Clings to his ears
Lui vole ses chagrins
Steals away his sorrows
Et vide ses bouteilles
And empties his bottles
Son cœur qui se dévisse
His heart that's coming undone
Ne peut les attrister
Can't let them be sad
Ç'est là qu'ils applaudissent
That's where they applaud
La vie qu'il a ratée!
The life he missed out on!
Pour ta femme infidèle
For your unfaithful wife
Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo! Bravo!
Et tu fais la vaisselle
And you're doing the dishes
Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo! Bravo!
Ta vie est un reproche
Your life is a reproach
Qui claque dans ton dos
That snaps behind your back
Ton fils te fait les poches
Your son is picking your pockets
Et toi, tu fais l'idiot
And you, you play the fool
Pour ta femme infidèle
For your unfaithful wife
Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo! Bravo!
Et tu fais la vaisselle
And you do the dishes
Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo! Bravo!
Le cirque est déserté
The circus is deserted
Le rire est inutile
Laughter is pointless
Mon clown est enfermé
My clown is locked away
Dans un certain asile
In a certain asylum
Succès de camisole
Success of the straitjacket
Bravos de cabanon
Cheers from the shed
Des mains devenues folles
Hands turned mad
Lui battent leur chanson
Beat their song to him
Je suis roi et je règne
I am king and I rule
Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo! Bravo!
J'ai des rires qui saignent
I have laughter that bleeds
Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo! Bravo!
Venez, que l'on m'acclame
Come, let them cheer for me
J'ai fait mon numéro
I've done my act
Tout en jetant ma femme
While tossing my wife
Du haut du chapiteau
From the top of the tent
Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo! Bravo!
(Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!)
(Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!)
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- infidèle
- unfaithfulB2
- bien
- wellC1
- fils
- threadB1
- règne
- reignB1
- reproche
- blameB1
- tonneau
- barrelB1
- haut
- highA2
- vaisselle
- dishesB1
- dos
- backA1
- fais
- doA1
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About this song
Édith Piaf was a French chanteuse in the French chanson tradition, remembered for the signature recordings “La vie en rose” and “Non, je ne regrette rien” during the mid-20th century. She was known for her prominence in Paris cabarets and international acclaim.