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Lyr Req: piaf

22 Oct 99 - 08:40 PM (#126994)
Subject: Need Piaf lyrics in English
From: Mike Murray

I am in rather immediate need of English translations of some Piaf tunes, particularly Milord--can anyone help or point me in a direction? Thanks!

Iscaron@aol.com

16 Jul 01 - 06:35 AM (#507504)
Subject: piaf
From: GUEST,j.c.platt@sheffield.ac.uk

anyone got the lyrics for lovers for a day (english). I heard it sung by edith piaf. I know its not a traditional folksong but I'm going to sing it anyway. Thanks John

16 Jul 01 - 09:52 AM (#507583)
Subject: Lyr Add: LOVERS FOR A DAY (LES AMANTS D'UN JOUR)
From: Malcolm Douglas

LOVERS FOR A DAY (LES AMANTS D'UN JOUR)

(Marguerite Monnot/ M. Senlis/ Delecluse/ R. French: Cinephonic Music Co. Ltd.-MCPS 1956)

Shine another glass, make the hours pass;
Working every day in a cheap café.
Who am I to care for a love affair?
Still I can't forget; I can see them yet.

They came hand in hand -why can't I forget?
For they'd seen the sign that said, "room to let".
The sunshine of love was deep in their eyes;
So young, oh so young: too young to be wise.

They walked to the place, a small hideaway;
A place of their own, if just for one day.

The walls were so bare, the carpets so thin;
But they took that room and heaven looked in.
Then I closed the door, and turned to depart,
With tears in my eyes and tears in my heart.

Shine another glass, make the hours pass;
Working every day in a cheap café.
Who am I to care? One more love affair.
Love is nothing new; I have work to do.

We found them next day, the way they had planned;
So quiet, so cold, but still hand in hand.
The sunshine of love was all they possessed,
And so in the sunshine we laid them to rest.

They sleep side by side, two children alone
But I'm sure they've found a place of their own.

So why must I see the ribbon she wore?
The glow on his face when I closed the door?
Be still, children, still! Your shadows may start
The tears in my eyes and tears in my heart.

Shine another glass, make the hours pass;
Working every day in a cheap café.
Everything is fine till I see that sign.
How can I forget? It says, "room to let".

As sung by the incomparable Edith Piaf.  This is a "singing version" rather than an accurate translation; I'll add the original French and a literal translation later on.

16 Jul 01 - 11:51 AM (#507667)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: piaf
From: Noreen

Beautiful.

16 Jul 01 - 09:26 PM (#508178)
Subject: Lyr Add: LOVERS FOR A DAY (LES AMANTS D'UN JOUR)
From: Malcolm Douglas

Here is the original French, with a basic, very literal translation; no attempt has been made to reproduce the rhythm or the quality of the language: the original is a beautiful piece of work, and I'm far too out of practice to do justice to the poetry of it. I may have misheard a few words.

LES AMANTS D'UN JOUR

(Monnot/ Senlis/ Delecluse: Cinephonic Music -Britico)

Moi, j'essuie les verres au fond du café;
J'ai bien trop à faire pour pouvoir rêver.
Et dans ce décor, banal à pleurer;
Il me semble encore les voir arriver.

Ils sont arrivés, se tenant par la main;
L'air émerveillé de deux chérubins.
Portant le soleil, ils ont demandé
D'une voix tranquille, un toit pour s'aimer

Au coeur de la ville; et je me rappelle:
Ils ont regardés, d'un air attendri,

La chambre à louer au papier jauni;
Et quand j'ai fermé la porte sur eux,
'Y avait tant de soleil aux fonds de leurs yeux
Que ça m'a fait mal, que ça m'a fait mal.

Moi, j'essuie les verres au fond du café:
J'ai bien trop à faire pour pouvoir rêver.
Et dans ce décor, banal à pleurer;
C'est corps contre corps qu'on les a trouvés.

On les a trouvés, se tenant par la main;
Les yeux refermés vers d'autres matins.
Remplis de soleil, on les a couchés
Unis et tranquilles, dans un lit creusé

Au coeur de la ville; et je me rappelle:
Avoir refermée dans le petit jour

La chambre d'hôtel des amants d'un jour;
Mais ils m'ont planté, tout au fond du cour,
Un goût de leur soleil; et tant de couleurs
Que ça me fait mal, que ça me fait mal.

Moi, j'essuie les verres au fond du café;
J'ai bien trop à faire pour pouvoir rêver.
Et dans ce décor, banal à pleurer.
'Y a toujours dehors: "la chambre à louer".

 LOVERS FOR A DAY



I wipe the glasses at the back of the cafe;
I have far too much to do to be able to dream.
And it's banal to cry in this setting;
I seem still to see them arriving.

They arrived holding each other by the hand
[With] the wonderstruck look of two cherubs.
Carrying the sunshine [with them], they asked,
In an untroubled voice, for a roof to love each other [beneath]

In the heart of the town; and I remember:
They looked fondly at

The room to let, with yellowed wallpaper;
And when I closed the door on them,
There was so much sunlight in the depths of their eyes
That it hurt me; that it hurt me.

I wipe the glasses at the back of the cafe;
I have far too much to do to be able to dream.
And it's banal to cry in this setting;
It was body to body that they were found.

They were found holding hands,
Their eyes closed upon other mornings.
Filled with sunlight, they were laid,
United and peaceful, in a hollow bed

In the heart of the town; and I remember
Closing up again, in the dawn's early light,

The hotel room of the lovers-for-a-day;
But they have planted in the depths of my heart
A taste of their sunshine; and so many colours
That it hurts me; that it hurts me.

I wipe the glasses at the back of the cafe;
I have far too much to do to be able to dream.
And it's banal to cry in this setting.
It's still outside: "room to let".

20 Jul 01 - 04:42 AM (#511056)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: piaf
From: GUEST,john platt

Malcolm, many thanks for the lyrics. John platt

21 Jul 01 - 01:20 AM (#511797)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: piaf
From: Mudlark

Malcolm...Many thanks for the more literal translation...it may not scan or rhyme but it is far more "french" and far more moving...I just received a Piaf CD, in French, from my Fr. tante...am hoping this song is on it.

23 Jul 01 - 10:50 AM (#512579)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: piaf
From: wysiwyg

lovely!

23 Jul 01 - 11:06 AM (#512595)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: piaf
From: McGrath of Harlow

If you like French Chansons, La href="http://www.math.umn.edu/~foursov/chansons/index.html#a">here is a great site for them, run by a man called Mikhail Foursov in Minnesota.

Unfortunately it's come up against the same copyright problems as other sites, so a lot of great stuff has had to be taken off it - such as all Jacques Brel. But it's still got an enormous range.

Here's what Mikhail wrote about the hassles (and the Babelfish translation facility here will give you the gist if need be):DES MAUVAISES NOUVELLES POUR CE SITE: Je viens de recevoir une mise en demeure par la Chambre Syndicale de l'Edition Musicale (http://www.csdem.org).

La ladite Chambre me demande de cesser immédiatement de diffuser les oeuvres des éditeurs membres de cette association (je ne sais pas de quels interprètes s'agit-il). Bien que mon site se trouve aux Etats-Unis (et par conséquent il est sujet aux lois américaines lesquelles permettent l'existence de ce genre de pages web), je ne suis pas absolûment sûr d'avoir raison là-dessus.

Dans le cas où il existe bien une loi américaine qui rendrait mon site illégal, je serai bien obligé de fermer la plus grande partie de mon site. Ce serait vraiment dommage pour les amateurs de la chanson française, mais je ne veux pas être poursuivi en justice.

Si vous avez des questions, contactez la CSDEM à l'adresse ci-dessus. J'espère que ce message ne sera pas le message d'adieu...

23 Jul 01 - 11:09 AM (#512597)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: piaf
From: McGrath of Harlow

Here is the link to that site of Mikhail Foursov. (And it's got some other great stuff in there as well, of you dig around. Pictures of Orthodox Churches and that.)