J'écume

Video made by sarahvialy1 with beautiful images by Rita Vial.

Words: Alain Bashung and Jean Fauque

Music: Alain Bashung

Au large les barges se gondolent dans le roulis

Off the coast the barges warp in the rolling
Ici on cuit au bain-marie
Here one cooks in the water bath
Un coup j’te lave un coup tu m’essuies
With one blow I wash you with one blow you dry me
Ici on se botte
Here one is diggin'
On se débecte
One is disgusted
Et les mouettes se délectent
And the seagulls are delighting
De nos anecdotes
In our anecdotes

Au large les barges se gondolent dans le roulis
Off the coast the barges warp in the rolling
Ici on suit des bikinis
Here one follows bikinis
Les jours de grève le sable s’ennuie
On strike days the sand gets bored
On se prélasse
One lounges
Dans les grandes surfaces
In the great surfaces
Là où se pressent les huiles
There where the oils are pressed
Et les bigorneaux
And the periwinkles (uk-winkles)

J’écume
I foam
J’m’enrhume
I catch a cold

J’ai qu’une idée
I have only one idea
Eternuer
To sneeze
Te retourner le canoë
To turn you over in the canoe
Etre le dernier à s’éterniser
To be the last to drag on
Sur ton corps alangui
On your languid body

J’écume
I foam
J’m’enrhume
I catch a cold

Au large les barges se gondolent dans le roulis
Off the coast the barges warp in the rolling
Ici on jouit du clapotis
Here one rejoices in the lapping
Du bord de mer dans mon jacuzzi
At the edge of the sea in my jacuzzi
Du premier jet
From the first jet
J’ai tout gardé
I have kept everything
Puis j’ai mélangé 
Then I have blended
Le léger le corsé
The light the spicy

J’ai qu’une idée
I have only one idea
Eternuer
To sneeze
Te retourner le canoë
To turn you over in the canoe
Etre le dernier à s’éterniser
To be the last to drag on
Sur ton corps alangui
On your languid body

J’écume
I foam
J’écume
I foam
J’m’enrhume

I catch a cold

Volutes

Music video realized by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, who directed several of Bashung's music videos. I love this video and would like to dedicate this translation to him. Do visit his exceptional photo site!

Words: Alain Bashung and Jean Fauque

Music: Alain Bashung

Vos luttes partent en fumée (vos luttes = volutes/ billowing smoke)

Your struggles leave in smoke (play on words = your billowing smoke parts in smoke)
Vos luttes font des nuées

Your struggles make swarms
Des nuées de scrupules

Swarms of scruples

Vos luttes partent en fumée 

Your stuggles leave in smoke
Vers des flûtes enchantées

Toward enchanted flutes
Et de cruelles espérances

And cruel hopes

Me lancent

(They) throw me
Des dagues et des lances

Spikes and lances
En toute innocence

In all innocence

Vos luttes partent en fumée

Your struggles leave in smoke
Sous les yeux embués

Under misted-up eyes
D’étranges libellules

Of strange dragonflies

Pour une grimace et un rictus

For a grimace and a rictus
De plus

And more
J’fais des heures sup’ 

I do supplemental hours

Je m’en donne de la peine

I give myself pain
Je cogite je m’agite

I cogitate I agitate
Je rejoue la scène

I replay the scene

J’cloue des clous sur des nuages

I nail nails on the clouds
Un marteau au fond du garage

A hammer in the back of the garage
J’cloue des clous sur des nuages

I nail nails on the clouds
Sans échafaudage

Without scaffolding

Et mon corps de se vouer

And my body dedicated
A des lunes surdouées

To super-gifted moons
Aux courbes souveraines

With sovereign curves

Pleines pleines

Full full

Vos luttes partent en fumée

Your struggles leave in smoke
Sous des soleils qui s’ignorent

Under suns that are ignored
Dor- dormez

Sleep sleep (wordplay: d'or, "gold sleep" or "sleep sleep mais"-"but")

Mes réponses allongées 

My allongated responses
Mes que dire

My what to say
Mes que faire

My what to do
Mais comment ça tient en l’air

But how this is kept in the air(!)

Ces deux hémisphères

These two hemispheres
Par quel mystère

By what mystery

J’cloue des clous sur des nuages

I nail nails on the clouds
Un marteau au fond du garage

A hammer in the back of the garage
J’cloue des clous sur des nuages

I nail nails on the clouds
Sans échafaudage

Without scaffolding

Vos luttes partent en fumée ...

Your struggles leave in smoke ... 

Smoke Art by Stoffel de Roover, wonderful! 

Happe

From Bashung's last Olympia concert, 2008

Words: Alain Bashung and Jean Fauque

Music: Alain Bashung

Tu vois ce convoi

You see this funeral procession
Qui s’ébranle

That's shaken
Non tu vois pas

No you don't see
Tu n’es pas dans l’angle

You're not in the angle
Pas dans le triangle

Not in the triangle

Comme quand tu faisais du zèle

Like when you acted with zeal
Comme quand j’te volais dans les plumes

Like when I flew at you
Entre les dunes

Between the dunes

Par la porte entrebâillée

Through the half-opened door
Je te vois rêver

I see you dreaming
A des ébats qui me blessent

Of the frolicking that wounds me
A des ébats qui ne cessent

Of the frolicking that never stops

Peu à peu tout me happe

Little by little everything snags me
Je me dérobe je me détache

I'm disrobed I'm detached
Sans laisser d’auréole

Without leaving a stain (halo)
Les cymbales les symboles

The cymbals the symbols
Collent

Stick
On se rappelle

We're recalled
On se racole

We're touted
Peu à peu tout me happe

Little by little everything snags me

Les vents de l’orgueil 

The winds of pride
Peu apaisés

Little appeased
Peu apaisés

Little appeased
Une poussière dans l’œil

A bit of dust in the eye
Et le monde entier soudain se trouble

And the entire world is suddenly blurry

Comme quand tu faisais du zèle 

Like when you acted with zeal
Comme quand j’te volais dans les plumes

Like when I flew at you
Entre les dunes

Between the dunes

Par la porte entrebaîllée

Through the half-opened door
Je te vois pleurer

I see you crying
Des romans-fleuves asséchés

From the dried-up historical novels (direct translation: novels-rivers)
Où jadis on nageait

We once swam in

Peu à peu tout me happe

Little by little everything snags me
Je me dérobe je me détache
I'm disrobed I'm detached
Sans laisser d’auréole
Without leaving a stain
Les cymbales les symboles
The cymbals the symbols
Collent
Stick
On se rappelle

We're recalled

On se racole
We're touted
Peu à peu tout me happe

Little by little everything snags me

Tu vois ce convoi

You see this funeral procession
Qui s’ébranle

That's shaken
Non tu vois pas

No you don't see

Well All Right

Words: Buddy Holly

Music: Jerry Allison, Norman Petty and Joe Maudlin


Well all right
So i'm being foolish
Well all right
Let people know
About the dreams and wishes you wish
In the night when lights are low

Well all right, well all right
We will live and love
With all our might
Well all right, well all right
Our lifetime love
Will be all right

Well all right
So i'm going steady
It's all right
When people say
That those foolish kids
Can't be ready
For the love
That comes their way

Well all right, well all right
We will live and love
With all our might
Well all right, well all right
Our lifetime love
Will be all right

 

Les grands voyageurs

Words: Jean Fauque and Laurent Petitgand
Music: Alain Bashung

Les grands voyageurs

The great voyagers
Laissent dans le cœur des ardoises

Leave in their hearts the accounts
Les grands voyageurs

The great voyagers
Laissent les tuiles aux Tuileries

Leave the tiles in the Tuileries
Cherchent des amuse-gueule au buffet de la gare

Look for snacks on the buffet of the train station
Trouvent des femmes seules pour hommes affamés

Find lonely women for starving men

À quatre pattes

On all fours
À quatre pattes

On all fours
Intacts

Intacts

Les grands voyageurs

The great voyagers
Se posent sur le ventre d'une âme sœur

Are poised on the stomach of a soulmate
Ne respectent pas les consignes

Don't respect the goods
Ne font pas de cadeau

Don't make presents
Sinon des solitaires à des égéries en souffrance

If not solitary ones for suffering muses

Les grands voyageurs

The great voyagers
Vous donnent la migraine

Give you a migraine
Avec des récits captivants

With capivating stories

À quatre pattes

On all fours
À quatre pattes

On all fours
Intacts

Intact

De la cabine où je t'appelle

From the booth where I call you
On distingue 

One distinguishes
Des crépuscules en toc

Two-bit twilights
Des bruits d'hélice

Noise of propellers 
De la musique d'ascenseur

Elevator music
Pour femmes seules

For lonely women
Pour hommes affamés

For starving men
Et le vermisseau qui t'appelle ruisselle ruisselle

And small worms that call to you drip drip

À quatre pattes

On all fours
À quatre pattes

On all fours
Intacts

Intact
Intacts

Intact

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain

Words/music: Fred Rose

Open a new window in Jiwa, and then follow along as you listen: http://www.jiwa.fm/#track/927628 (Click "close" not "ok")  

In the twilight glow i see you
Blue eyes crying in the rain
When we kissed goodbye and parted
I knew we'd never meet again

Love is like a dying ember
And only memories remain
And through the ages i'll remember  
Blue eyes crying in the rain

Someday when we meet up yonder
We'll stroll hand in hand again

In the land that knows no parting

Blue eyes crying in the rain

Osez Joséphine

Clip realized by Jean-Baptiste Mondino

Words: Alain Bashung and Jean Fauque

Music: Alain Bashung

A l'arrière des berlines

In the back of the berlines
On devine

One can divine
Des monarques et leurs figurines

Monarchs and their figurines
Juste une paire de demi-dieux

Just a pair of demigods
Livrés à eux

Left to their own devices

Ils font des p'tits

They're making babies
Ils font des envieux

They're making envious people

A l'arrière des dauphines

In the back of the dauphines
Je suis le roi des scélérats

I am the king of villains
A qui sourit la vie

At whom life is smiling

Marcher sur l'eau

To walk on water
Eviter les péages

To avoid the toll booths
Jamais souffrir

Never to suffer
Juste faire hennir

Just to whinny
Les chevaux du plaisir

Like horses of pleasure

Osez osez Joséphine

Dare, dare, Josephine
Osez osez Joséphine

Dare, dare, Josephine
Plus rien n's'oppose à la nuit

Nothing more is opposed to the night
Rien ne justifie

Nothing justifies it

Usez vos souliers

Wear out your shoes
Usez l'usurier

Use the usurer
Soyez ma muse

Be my muse
Et que ne durent que les moments doux

And may only sweet moments endure
Durent que les moments doux

Only sweet moments endure
Et que ne doux

And only sweet

Osez osez Joséphine

Dare, dare, Josephine
Osez osez Joséphine

Dare, dare, Josephine
Plus rien n's'oppose à la nuit

Nothing more is opposed to the night
Rien ne justifie

Nothing justifies it

Osez osez

Dare, dare
Osez osez

Dare, dare
Osez osez Joséphine

Dare, dare, Josephine
Osez osez Joséphine

Dare, dare, Josephine
Plus rien n's'oppose à la nuit

Nothing more is opposed to the night
Rien ne justifie

Nothing justifies it

Examples of berlines

Kalabougie

Words: Alain Bashung and Jean Fauque
Music: Alain Bashung

J'ai dansé 
I have danced
Sous des pluies diluviennes 
Under diluvial rains
Jusqu'à ce que me vienne 
Until she came to me
Un jour une arlésienne 

One day an Arlesian

J'ai biaisé 
I have deflected
Je n'ai fait que biaiser 
I've done nothing but deflect
Jusqu'à ce que me viennent 
Until they came to me
Les idées diluées 
These diluted ideas
Diluées diluées 

Diluted, diluted

Qu'as-tu fait de moi 
What have you done to me
Perdu corps et âme  
Lost body and soul
Dans les toilettes des dames  
In the ladies' rooms
Aux tourments haut de gamme 

Of high-class torments

Je suis celui qui luit 
I am he who shines
Qui vous éblouit 
Who blinds you
Qu'a la bougie 
Who has the candle
Qu'a des éclairs 
Who has bright flashes
Tous les bicentenaires 
All the bicentennials
Qu'a la bougie 
Who has the candle
Qu'a la bougie 

Who has the candle

Epaves et pavés 
Wrecks and cobblestones
Sont faits pour se rencontrer 
Are made for meetings
Pour se perdre en retrouvailles 
For losing oneself in reunions
Partir 
Leaving
Aller où 
To go where
Où c'est où 
Where it's where
Où c'est partout 
Where it's everywhere
Où qu'on aille 

Where one goes

Je suis celui qui luit 
I am he who shines
Qui vous éblouit 
Who blinds you
Qu'a la bougie 
Who has the candle
Qu'a des éclairs 
Who has bright flashes
Tous les bicentenaires 
All the bicentennials
Qu'a la bougie 
Who has the candle
Qu'a la bougie 

Who has the candle

J'ai dansé 

I have danced
Sous des pluies diluviennes

Under diluvial rains
J'ai dansé

I have danced
J'ai dansé

I have danced

*Arlésienne, literally a woman from Arles, which has come to mean talking about and planning for something that never gets done

She Belongs to Me

Words/Music: Bob Dylan

Open a new window in Jiwa, and then follow along as you listen: http://www.jiwa.fm/#track/927631 (Click "close" not "ok")  

She's got everything she needs
She's an artist, she don't look back
She's got everything she needs
She's an artist, she don't look back
She can take the dark out of nightime
And paint the daytime black

You will start out standing
Proud to steal her anything she sees
But you will wind up peeking through her keyhole
Down upon your knees

She never stumbles
She's got no place to fall
She never stumbles
She's got no place to fall
She's nobody's child
The law can't touch her at all

She wears an egyptian ring
That sparkles before she speaks
She's an hypnotist collector
You are a walking antique

Bow down to her on sunday
Salute her when her birthday comes
 

Bow down to her on sunday
Salute her when her birthday comes
For halloween buy her a trumpet
And for christmas give her a drum

She's got everything she needs
She's an artist, she don't look back
She's got everything she needs
She's an artist, she don't look back
She can take the dark out of nightime
And paint the daytime black

You will start out standing
Proud to steal her anything she sees
But you will wind up peeking through her keyhole
Down upon your knees

She never stumbles
She's got no place to fall
She never stumbles
She's got no place to fall
She's nobody's child
The law can't touch her at all

She wears an egyptian ring
That sparkles before she speaks
She's an hypnotist collector
You are a walking antique

Bow down to her on sunday
Salute her when her birthday comes
Bow down to her on sunday
Salute her when her birthday comes
For halloween buy her a trumpet
And for christmas give her a drum

Madame Rêve

♥ Dedicated to my sweet, kick-ass British friend Lynn Kibart, who IS 
Madame Rêve, and to Donna Lang for her suggestion on "au ciel"...

Words: Pierre Grillet
Music: Alain Bashung

Madame rêve d'atomiseurs 
Madame dream of atomisers
Et de cylindres si longs
And cylinders so long
Qu'ils sont les seuls
They are the only ones
Qui la remplissent de bonheur
That fill her with happiness

Madame rêve d'artifices
Madame dream of artifice
De formes oblongues
Of oblong forms
Et de totems qui la punissent
And totems that punish her

Rêve d'archipels
Dream of archipelagos
De vagues perpétuelles
Of perpetual waves
Sismiques et sensuelles
Seismic and sensual

D'un amour qui la flingue
Of a love that guns her down
D'une fusée qui l'épingle
Of a rocket that pins her up
Au ciel
In Heaven
Au ciel
In Heaven

On est loin des amours de loin
One is far from lovers faraway
On est loin des amours de loin
One is far from lovers faraway
On est loin
One is far

Madame rêve ad libitum
Madame dream freely
Comme si c'était tout comme
As if it were all as it is
Dans les prières
In your prayers
Qui emprisonnent et vous libèrent
That imprison and liberate you

Madame rêve d'apesanteur
Madame dream of weightlessness
Des heures des heures
Of hours of the hours
De voltige à plusieurs
Of aerial stunts again and again

Rêve de fougères
Dream of ferns
De foudres et de guerres
Of lightning and wars
À faire et à refaire
To make and remake

D'un amour qui la flingue
Of a love that guns her down
D'une fusée qui l'épingle
Of a rocket that pins her up
Au ciel
In Heaven
Au ciel
In Heaven

On est loin des amours de loin
One is far from lovers faraway
On est loin des amours de loin
One is far from lovers faraway
On est loin
One is far

Madame rêve
Madame dream
Au ciel
In Heaven
Madame rêve
Madame dream
Au ciel
In Heaven
Madame rêve
Madame dream

Fanny Ardant and Alain Bashung in "Rien que des mensonges" (Nothing but lies)

Nights in White Satin

 Words/Music: Justin Hayward

Nights in white satin
Never reaching the end
Letters I've written
Never meaning to send

Beauty I always missed
With these eyes before
Just what the truth is
I can't say anymore

'Cause I love you
Yeah I love you
Oh I love you

Gazing at people
Some hand in hand
Just what I'm going through
They can understand

Some try to tell me
Thoughts they cannot defend
Just what you want to be
You will be in the end

And I love you …