Renaud
Triviale poursuite lyrics with English translation
- Language
- French
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1988
- Genre
- Pop
- Length
- 6:16
Question d'histoire d'abord, où est la Palestine
A matter of history first, where is Palestine
Sous quelle botte étoilée, derrière quels barbelés
Under which starry boot, behind which barbed wires
Sous quel champ de ruines
Under what fields of ruins
Question d'histoire encore, combien de victimes
Another matter of history, how many victims
Combien de milliers d'enfants dans les décombres des camps
How many thousands of children in the rubble of the camps
Deviendront combattants
Will become fighters
J'en sais rien, j'donne ma langue au chagrin
I don't know, I surrender my tongue to sorrow
Si tu sais, toi, souffle-moi
If you know, tell me
Question d'géographie, où est la Kanaky
A matter of geography, where is Kanaky
Combien de flics, de soldats pour tenir Nouméa
How many cops, how many soldiers to hold Nouméa
Pour flinguer Eloi
To take down Eloi
Combien de petits blancs, de colons arrogants
How many little white men, arrogant colonists
Se partagent la terre et combien de misère
Share the land, and how much misery
Pour le peuple kanak, combien de coups de matraque
For the Kanak people, how many blows from the club
J'en sais rien, j'donne ma langue au chagrin
I don't know, I give my tongue to sorrow
Si tu sais, toi, souffle-moi
If you know, just breathe it to me
Question de sport, qui détiendra le record
In the name of sport, who will hold the record
Et restera vivant, libre et innocent
And remain alive, free, and innocent
Derrière les barreaux
Behind bars
20 ans pour Otelo, autant pour Mandela
20 years for Otelo, as much for Mandela
Et combien de hors-la-loi chez ces petits juges en bois
And how many outlaws among these little wooden judges
Dont on fait les salauds
From whom we make the bastards
J'en sais rien, j'donne ma langue au chagrin
I don't know, I give my tongue to sorrow
Si tu sais, toi, souffle-moi
If you know, tell me, will you?
Question science et nature, où balancer ses ordures
When it comes to science and nature, where to throw your trash
Allez, à la Vologne, ces chiens qui assassinent
Come on, to the Vologne, these dogs that assassinate
Ces rats qui emprisonnent
These rats that imprison
Question d'littérature, qui a écrit que les hommes
In matters of literature, who wrote that men
Naissaient libres, égaux, libres mais dans le troupeau
Were born free, equal, free but within the herd
Égaux devant les bourreaux
Equal before the executioners
J'en sais rien, j'donne ma langue au chagrin
I don't know, I give my tongue to sorrow
Si tu sais, toi, souffle-moi
If you know, you, whisper to me
Souffre-moi
Suffer for me
Souffre-moi
Suffer for me
J'en sais rien, j'donne ma langue au chagrin
I don't know, I give my tongue to sorrow
Si tu sais, toi, souffle-moi
If you know, you, whisper to me
Souffre-moi
Suffer for me
J'en sais rien, j'donne ma langue au chagrin
I don't know, I give my tongue to sorrow
Si tu sais, toi, souffle-moi
If you know, you, whisper to me
Souffre-moi
Suffer for me
Souffre-moi
Suffer for me
J'en sais rien, j'donne ma langue au chagrin
I don't know anything, I give my tongue to sorrow
Si tu sais, toi, souffle-moi
If you know, then breathe for me
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- libre
- freeA1
- tenir
- holdA1
- terre
- earthA1
- histoire
- story
- ruines
- ruinsB1
- milliers
- thousandsB1
- combattants
- fightersB1
- sais
- I know
- donne
- give
- chagrin
- sorrowB2
Test yourself
How much of Triviale poursuite did you catch?
A quick quiz on the key words from this song.
About this song
Renaud (Renaud Pierre Manuel Séchan) is a French singer-songwriter. He is known for French-language chanson rooted in regional dialects and for topping French album and single charts across multiple decades, including award-winning releases such as “Boucan d’enfer” and “Toujours debout.”