Lyrics & Knowledge Personal Pages Record Shop Auction Links Radio & Media Kids Membership Help
The Mudcat Cafesj



User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
GUEST,Jim Dixon Lyr: The Letter/The Deserter/Le Deserteur (Vian) (30) Lyr Add: LE DÉSERTEUR^^ 05 Aug 01


The song you have posted sounds like a translation of this French song:

LE DÉSERTEUR
(Boris Vian/Harold Berg, 1954)

Messieurs qu'on nomme grand,* Je vous fais une lettre
Que vous lirez peut-être Si vous avez le temps.
Je viens de recevoir Mes papiers militaires
Pour aller à la guerre Avant Mercredi soir.
Messieurs qu'on nomme grand,* Je ne veux pas la faire.
Je ne suis pas sur terre Pour tuer les pauvres gens.
Il n'faut pas vous fâcher Mais Il faut que je vous dise
Les guerres sont des bêtises. Le monde en a assez.

Depuis que je suis né J'ai vu mourir des frères.
J'ai vu partir des pères Et les enfants pleurer.
Les mères ont trop souffert Quand d'autres se gobergent
Et vivant à leur aise Malgré la boue de sang.
Il y'a les prisoniers, On a volé leurs âmes,
On a volé leurs femmes Et tout le cher passé.
Demain de bon matin Je fermerai la porte
Au nez des années mortes. J'irai par les chemins.

Je mendierai ma vie Sur la terre et sur l'onde
Du vieux au nouveau monde Et je dirai aux gens:
Profitez de la vie. Eloignez la misère.
Les hommes sont tous des frères. Gens de tous les pays:
S'il faut verser le sang, Allez verser le vôtre,
Messieurs les bons apôtres, Messieurs qu'on nomme grand.
Si vous me poursuivez Prévenez vos gendarmes
Que je serai sans armes Et qu'ils pourront tirer.
Et qu'ils pourront tirer.

*Some versions use "Monsieur le président" (Mr. President)

Here is my own rather literal translation. I have tried to make it idiomatic, but it is not necessarily singable:

THE DESERTER

Sirs, you who are called "great," I am writing you a letter
That you will read, perhaps, if you have the time.
I have just received my military papers
To go to war before Wednesday evening.
Sirs, you who are called "great," I don't want to do that.
I am not on earth to kill poor people.
This is not meant to annoy you, but I must tell you:
Wars are insane. The world has enough of them.

Since I was born, I have seen brothers die.
I have seen fathers leave, and children cry.
Mothers have suffered too much while others prosper
And live at their ease in spite of mud and blood.
There are prisoners whose souls have been stolen,
Whose wives have been stolen, and all their loved ones gone.
Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, I will close the door
On the past. I will go on the road.

I will beg for my livelihood on land and sea,
From the old to the new world, and I will say to people:
Profit from life. Alleviate misery.
All men are brothers. People of all countries:
If it is necessary to spill blood, go spill your own.
Sirs, you good apostles -- sirs, you who are called "great":
If you pursue me, inform your police
That I will be unarmed, and they can shoot,
And they can shoot.


Post to this Thread -

Back to the Main Forum Page

By clicking on the User Name, you will requery the forum for that user. You will see everything that he or she has posted with that Mudcat name.

By clicking on the Thread Name, you will be sent to the Forum on that thread as if you selected it from the main Mudcat Forum page.

By clicking on the Subject, you will also go to the thread as if you selected it from the original Forum page, but also go directly to that particular message.

By clicking on the Date (Posted), you will dig out every message posted that day.

Try it all, you will see.