Jacques Brel
Voir lyrics with English translation
- Language
- French
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1958
- Genre
- Ballad, French Pop
- Length
- 2:23
Voir la rivière gelée
See the frozen river
Vouloir être un printemps
Want to be a spring
Voir la terre brûlée
See the scorched earth
Et semer en chantant
And sow while singing
Voir que l'on a 20 ans
See that we're 20 years old
Vouloir les consumer
Want to burn them away
Voir passer un croquant
See a peasant passing by
Et tenter de l'aimer
And try to love him
Voir une barricade
See a barricade
Et la vouloir défendre
And want to defend it
Voir périr l'embuscade
To see the ambush perish
Et puis ne pas se rendre
And then not to surrender
Voir le gris des faubourgs
To see the gray of the suburbs
Vouloir être Renoir
To want to be Renoir
Voir l'ennemi de toujours
To see the eternal enemy
Et fermer sa mémoire
And to close one's memory
Voir que l'on va vieillir
To see that we will age
Et vouloir commencer
And to want to begin
Voir un amour fleurir
To see a love blossom
Et s'y vouloir brûler
And to want to burn in it
Voir la peur inutile
To see the useless fear
La laisser aux crapauds
To leave it to the toads
Voir que l'on est fragile
To see that we are fragile
Et chanter à nouveau
And to sing once more
Voilà ce que je vois
That's what I see
Voilà ce que je veux
That's what I want
Depuis que je te vois
Since I see you
Depuis que je te veux
Since I want you
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- gris
- grayA1
- laisser
- leaveA1
- nouveau
- newA1
- peur
- fearA1
- puis
- thenA1
- rendre
- returnA1
- toujours
- alwaysA1
- voilà
- hereA1
- vois
- seeA1
- gelée
- frozenB1
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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.