Origins: Mon Vrai Destin (PP&M??)

Subject: Mon Vrai Destin
From:
Date: 20 Jan 99 - 09:47 AM

Does anyone have the lyrics to Mon Vrai Destin or know where I might find them?

Thank you very much.

Subject: RE: Mon Vrai Destin
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Jan 99 - 11:53 AM

Nice tune...nice harmonies...a PPM hit of sorts...and I have absolutely no idea what the song's about except about 3 minutes...with a lot of lalala's

However, you can find it (lyrics) on the Peter,Paul,and Mary website. Sorry I can't do the fancy click here thing, but go to www.cool107.com and surf along to the P,P,&M site. Click on lyrics and follow along...you'll get there. Best I can do, ain't got da' mojo working to take you straight to it. catspaw

Subject: RE: Mon Vrai Destin
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Jan 99 - 01:10 PM

Click here to get to the Peter, Paul and Mary Web site. I think they have all the lyrics for all the songs the group recorded.
-Joe Offer-

---

from http://www.peterpaulandmary.com/music/f-songlist.htm:

MON VRAI DESTIN Yarrow/Stookey/Travers- Pepamar Music Corp. ASCAP La la la...... Dans mes rêves j'entends une voix Qui me dit "Ne pleure pas", Quel dommage mes yeux sont des source claires. Dans mes rêves j'entends une voix Qui me dit "Ne souffre pas!" Quel dommage mon âme n'est pas de pierre. Mais les voix de mes fantômes ne connaissent pas la douleur de l'homme Pourtant les cloches m'annoncent toujours mon vrai destin. La la la ...... La la la ...... Dans notre maison fragile et grise Nous partageons le rêve d'la vie Et la lune souriait sur l'innocence Dans un monde plein de nean Même les promesses sont du vent Et le soleil parfois se perd dans les nuages Ne me quitte pas encore, Ne me laisse pas partir Pourtant les cloches m'annoncent toujours mon vrai destin. La la la.....

The song was on The Peter, Paul and Mary Album (1965)

Subject: RE: Mon Vrai Destin
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Jan 99 - 03:58 PM

Thank you Joe...catspaw

Subject: RE: Mon Vrai Destin
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Jan 99 - 04:11 PM

Hi, catspaw - here's a simple trick for doing a quick Web search:

Type find Peter Paul Mary (or whatever) in the address bar of your Netscape or MS Internet Explorer browser, and hit "enter"

Many times, that simple search will get you just what you're looking for.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Mon Vrai Destin
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Jan 99 - 06:11 PM

Thanks once again Joe. That's basically what I do. What I should have explained was that the site I listed is one click away from a boatload of pop artists and I have it in our favorites listing for occasional usage. This does bring up another point.

As a recent member or Newbie, I've tried to spend a lot of time reviewing old threads and trying to get a handle on Mudcat history and a general "WHO'S WHO" type thing so as not to create some MAJOR faux pas. At the same time I've looked into the "MoJo" tricks. As someone who once crashed an entire school districts system back in the 3.1 days, you might say I'm "Once Byten, Twice Shy!" But now is as good a place as any to try the links thing. So here goes nothin' and we'll see if it works!

Here goes doitwork catspaw

Subject: RE: Mon Vrai Destin
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Jan 99 - 06:17 PM

Geez, I can't believe it...and the Mudcat is still working.catspaw

Subject: Mon vrai destin
From:
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 01:55 PM

who wrote the lyrics to mon vrai destin sung by Peter Paul and Mary?

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: Justa Picker
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 01:58 PM

Yarrow, Stookey and Travers.
Link is here.

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: Noreen
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 02:02 PM

An attempt at the world Mudcat land-speed record for answer provided with clickable link!

Good one, Justa Picker!!

Noreen

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: Sorcha
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 02:02 PM

e mail sent

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 03:10 PM

Well, Justa, you tied my best, which is a three-minute response time with a clickable link. Trouble is, we've been beaten by Jeri, Pene Azul, and most recently by Sorcha.
Darn.
-Joe Offer, has-been champion-

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: Sorcha
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 03:21 PM

Hey, ya know, a lot of the "quickest" business has to do with just being here when the request shows up. And if I already know where to find it, it's easy.

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 03:54 PM

Aw, that's false modesty, Sorcha. "Quickest" also has to do with punching the keys quickly, and my fingers don't do that any more. I think I probably did some nerve damage from overuse, and I can't type as quickly and as accurately as I once did.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: MON VRAI DESTIN
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 04:36 PM

Does anyone have an English translation for the lyrics? Here they are in French:

La la la......
Dans mes rêves j'entends une voix
Qui me dit "Ne pleure pas",
Quel dommage mes yeux sont des source claires.
Dans mes rêves j'entends une voix
Qui me dit "Ne souffre pas!"
Quel dommage mon âme n'est pas de pierre.
Mais les voix de mes fantômes ne connaissent pas la douleur de l'homme
Pourtant les cloches m'annoncent toujours mon vrai destin.

La la la ......
La la la ......

Dans notre maison fragile et grise
Nous partageons le rêve d'la vie
Et la lune souriait sur l'innocence
Dans un monde plein de nean
Même les promesses sont du vent
Et le soleil parfois se perd dans les nuages
Ne me quitte pas encore,
Ne me laisse pas partir
Pourtant les cloches m'annoncent toujours mon vrai destin.

La la la.....

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: Sorcha
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 05:56 PM

LOL! Boyo oh boy, are the posts out of order in this one!

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 08:42 PM

After doing a Google search and not finding any translation already done, I will do what I can with my rusty French -- but please bear in mind this is a literal -- rather than poetic -- translation...

La la la......
In my dreams I hear a voice
Which says (to me) "Do not cry",
What a pity my eyes are clear springs
In my dreams I hear a voice
Which says (to me) "Do not suffer!"
What a pity my soul is not made of stone.
But the voices of these phantoms do not know the sadness of man
Nevertheless, the bells always announce (to me) my true fate.

La la la ......
La la la ......

In our grey and fragile home
We share the dream of life
And the moon smiles on innocence
In a world full of nothingness*
Even promises are of the wind
And the sun is sometimes lost in the clouds
Do not leave me again,
Do not let me leave
Nevertheless, the bells always announce (to me) my true fate.

La la la.....

*Could not find "nean" in several online French-English (and one French-French) dictionaries, so began wondering if it might be a typo; after a couple of Google searches, my conclusion is that it is indeed (a typo): should be "ne**ant".

**The e in neant should have an accent (aigu, for those who know French) above it, but the character is not showing up when I "preview" this message.

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 09:23 PM

Here's the translation from the "translate" link here on mudcat:

In my dreams I hear a voice Which says to me "does not cry", Which damage my eyes are source clear. In my dreams I hear a voice Which says to me "does not suffer!" Which damage my heart is not stone. But the voices of my phantoms do not know the pain of the Pourtant man the bells always announce my true destiny to me. It...... It...... In our fragile and gray house We share the dream of the life And the moon smiled on innocence In a world full with nean Même the promises are wind And the sun sometimes is lost in the clouds does not leave me yet, does not let to me leave Pourtant the bells always announce my true destiny to me.

I've heard this song performed, and it always seemed like a wonderful love song, with the two singers gazing lovingly into each other's eyes. So my impression of the translation --and my French is very rusty and was never that good to begin with-- is something like this, with great license:

In my dreams I hear a voice
Which tells me "don't cry"
What a shame my eyes can't see the source
In my dreams I hear a voice
Which tells me "don't suffer"
What a shame my soul is not made of stone.
But the voice of my phantoms doesn't know the sadness of man
And the bells announce always my true destiny.

In our house we're old and grey
Sharing the dream of life
And the moon smiles on our innocence
In a world full of (what)
Even though promises are of the wind
And the sun sometimes hides in the clouds
Do not ever leave me
Never let us part
And the bells announce always my true destiny.

Thanks, Yorkshire Yankee for your literal translation. Hopefully someone knows of a version sanctioned by PPM or translated elsewhere to be sung. I'm thinking this is something we can use at a wedding (both English and French), and maybe my interpretation is different from the intention of the song...

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 10:54 PM

Hi Barbara -- your line "In our house we're old and grey" made me go back and look at the original French "Dans notre maison fragile et grise"; it occurs to me that there might well be a missing comma, which would lead me to change my translation to:
"In our house , fragile and grey
"We share the dream of life"

...more in line with your interpretation.

Anyway, yours is an intriguing -- and poetic -- interpretation. I confess it never occurred to me this might be a love song -- but then, I have never heard it (or even heard of it) before, which could make a big difference. Like you, would love to see an official or approved translation -- or maybe there's a French 'Catter?

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 09:06 AM

C'mon Mudcat. Doesn't anyone else have a French opinion?

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: GUEST,Y Singer
Date: 24 Jun 11 - 02:27 AM

neant = nothingness
Did they really write this? It's very sophisticated French.
What a beautiful song!

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: GUEST,Coyote
Date: 08 Jun 12 - 10:02 PM

I remember this song from 1966, when I was both fairly fluent in French, and fond of PP&M.
"But those voices in my dreams, do not know the pain of mankind."

"In a world full of meanness"

Hope this helps with the rough spots.

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: Monique
Date: 09 Jun 12 - 02:00 AM

"Dans un monde plein de néant" means "In a world full of nothingness"
"Quel dommage, mes yeux sont des sources claires" does mean "What a pity my eyes are clear springs"
"Même les promesses sont du vent" means "Even the promesses are just hot air" =false
"Ne me quitte pas encore" may mean "Don't leave me again" or "Don't leave me still", the latter seems to be the right one here.

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: Allan C.
Date: 09 Jun 12 - 04:33 PM

I like this song so much that it ALMOST makes me want to learn French well enough to sing it properly.

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: GUEST,Cécile
Date: 05 Sep 15 - 10:04 PM

Learned this at a French camp, where I was teaching. I have a haunting memory of a beautiful young woman singing it just after lights out as we settled in our bds for the night.

Had n idea at all that it was a Peter, Paul and Mary song!

Have been wondering off and on what the lyrics were, as I could only remember the first two lines.

Have been studying and using French a long time, and cast my vote with the romantics who put in the comma: in our home, fragile and gray.

Subject: RE: Mon vrai destin
From: SuperDave
Date: 02 Nov 18 - 12:47 PM

On my copy of the LP, it lists the composers as Paul Stookey, Peter Yarrow, Mary Travers *AND* Milt Okun - although it is possible that Okun was merely the arranger for the PP&M recording. However, the sheet music here lists Okun as one of the composers.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mon Vrai Destin (PP&M??)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Nov 18 - 01:29 PM

I've always wondered about this song. A lot of songs claimed by PP&M, turned out to be their alterations of traditional songs. Did PP&M write this, or is it traditional French? The only references I can find to this song are linked to PP&M, so maybe this is their original composition.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins: Mon Vrai Destin (PP&M??)
From: Monique
Date: 02 Nov 18 - 05:51 PM

It doesn't remind me of any traditional French song even if I don't know them all! Some bars remind me of Lionel's Richie's "Hello" and Dylan's "Blowing in the Wind".

Subject: RE: Origins: Mon Vrai Destin (PP&M??)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Nov 18 - 01:09 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Origins: Mon Vrai Destin (PP&M??)
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Nov 18 - 09:18 AM

Blast from the past, . When I was much younger, a teener in th 60s, we had a nice female French Assistante stay with us for a term , or two - go on make up up your own jokes, if you must - and she wrote it out for me, whilst I lifted and replace the needle, - was that a joke? - what a lucky teener was I.
I can still perform ......the song...and yes to that too.

my true destiny,rather than fate

Ghosts or demons ?

Just sing it , prettily.

Thank you Lord for PPM

Amen

Subject: RE: Origins: Mon Vrai Destin (PP&M??)
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 26 Feb 24 - 09:37 AM

I don't know if anyone will ever find this forum again but just from context I think that he's saying not translation but the meaning "In my dreams I hear a voice that says don't cry, what a shame then that my eyes are like fountains" (so he is crying despite the voice)
same for the next verse "I hear a voice that says feel no pain" or do not suffer "What a shame then that my heart is not made of stone" (so he can't listen to the voice, hence the next line "The voices of my phantoms" The dream voice previously referred to "don't know the pain of man" and then the rest I can't speculate on. there's a video of a much older Peter singing this and saying a sort of translation of the first verse on Youtube, it seems correct but a bit jumbled, can provide some insight on the original meaning for anyone trying to figure it out themselves.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mon Vrai Destin (PP&M??)
From: Mrrzy
Date: 26 Feb 24 - 10:50 AM

I can't believe I never heard -- or heard of -- this beautiful song.

And Spaw learning about blickies. Priceless.