The "translations" in Jaques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris were by Mort Shuman and Eric Blau in conference, concurance and colaboration with Brel, himself. It is true that great liberties were taken with many selections. Carousels (valse de mille temps) tells a somewhat different story in translation but it retains the power and dizzying pace of the original. Marathon is much the same as Brel intended as is Timid Freda and If We Only Have Love (which Brel entitled the more optimistic When We Only Have Love). I had occasion to meet Blau and Stone at a recording session in the late 60's. They loved Brel's work and felt that no one could sell his songs as well as he could even though, at the time, Ellie Stone was the most noted interpreter of Brel's songs.
I am a Brel fan and I wonder why I have seen so little mention of my favorites like Madelaine or Jacky or that one word prescription for all our cares, NEXT!