Jacques Brel
Quand on n’a que l’amour lyrics with English translation
- Language
- French
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1956
- Genre
- Chanson
- Length
- 3:13
À s'offrir en partage
To share ourselves completely
Au jour du grand voyage
On the day of the great journey
Qu'est notre grand amour
What is our great love
Quand on n'a que l'amour
When all we have is love
Mon amour, toi et moi
My love, you and I
Pour qu'éclatent de joie
So that joy can burst forth
Chaque heure et chaque jour
Every hour and every day
Quand on n'a que l'amour
When all we have is love
Pour vivre nos promesses
To live our promises
Sans nulle autre richesse
Without any other wealth
Que d'y croire toujours
What to believe in always
Quand on n'a que l'amour
When we only have love
Pour meubler de merveilles
To fill with wonders
Et couvrir de soleil
And cover with sunshine
La laideur des faubourgs
The ugliness of the outskirts
Quand on n'a que l'amour
When we only have love
Pour unique raison
As our sole reason
Pour unique chanson
As our only song
Et unique secours
And our only support
Quand on n'a que l'amour
When we only have love
Pour habiller matin
To dress the morning
Pauvres et malandrins
Poor souls and scoundrels
De manteaux de velours
In coats of velvet
Quand on n'a que l'amour
When we have only love
À offrir en prière
To offer in prayer
Pour les maux de la terre
For the pains of the earth
En simple troubadour
As a simple troubadour
Quand on n'a que l'amour
When we have only love
À offrir à ceux-là
To offer to those
Dont l'unique combat
Whose only fight
Est de chercher le jour
Is to search for the day
Quand on n'a que l'amour
When all we have is love
Pour tracer un chemin
To carve out a path
Et forcer le destin
And bend destiny
À chaque carrefour
At every crossroads
Quand on n'a que l'amour
When all we have is love
Pour parler aux canons
To speak to the cannons
Et rien qu'une chanson
And nothing but a song
Pour convaincre un tambour
To convince a drum
Alors sans avoir rien
So, without having anything
Que la force d'aimer
That the power of love
Nous aurons dans nos mains
We will have in our hands
Amis le monde entier
Friends, the whole world
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- offrir
- offerA1
- partage
- sharingA1
- jour
- dayA1
- grand
- bigA1
- voyage
- journeyA1
- amour
- loveA1
- éclatent
- burst
- joie
- joyA1
- chaque
- eachA1
- heure
- hourA1
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About this song
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer, songwriter, and actor associated with lyric-driven French-language chanson. He was known for theatrical vocal delivery and character-driven songs, and his work influenced artists such as David Bowie, Scott Walker, and Marc Almond.