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LT → French, English → Yves Duteil → Quand les bateaux reviennent → English

Quand les bateaux reviennent (English translation)

  • Artist: Yves Duteil
  • Song: Quand les bateaux reviennent •Album: J'attends (1976)
    •
    2 translations
    English, Italian
  • Translations: English, Italian
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English translationEnglish
/French
A A

When the boats come back

Click to see the original lyrics (French)
When the boats come back
It remains on their flanks
Disappointing rags
Of the wind that takes them away
When the boats come back…
And the sailors of the board
Can see the cliff growing
And the curious malaise
And the glimmers of the harbour
Where women in the morning
Shivering under the shawl
Have the lip a bit pale
And an uncertain heart
 
Because it's the same wind
Who shoots their lace
Take their children away
Then bring them back
It gives to the gulls
This slow, so beautiful
And made of their lovers
Unfaithful sailors
 
When the boats come back
They're tied to the dock
The loin and the stake
For the only fruits of their work
When the boats come back…
Then the sailors leave
Exhausted by the fatigue
Even the ground sails
In the heart of their home
The bed already undone
Covers itself with sighs
And the women overturn
And their hope reborn
 
Because it's the same wind
Which blows their candle
A night when spring
Found them less beautiful
It gives to the oceans
Some new wrinkles
And shows to the kites
All the ways of heaven
 
So for a few days
The time doesn’t exist
It may be that’s why
That farewells are heavy
When the boats leave once again…
Women at dawn
At the time of departure
Search in their handkerchief
To count to her selves the days
The already so heavy grains
Of the ivory rosary
And the impossible mooring
That leads to their love
 
But it’s the same wind
That brings back to the shore
A bit of the Ocean
On their face
Where the sea and time
From a crossing to another
Have dug the wake
Strange and fascinating
 
Of a boat that travels…
 
Thanks!
❤
thanked 3 times
Submitted by La IsabelLa Isabel on Thu, 26/05/2022 - 14:12
Added in reply to request by Salve a SelvaSalve a Selva
Last edited by La IsabelLa Isabel on Sat, 28/05/2022 - 21:04
French
French
French

Quand les bateaux reviennent

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Translations of "Quand les bateaux ..."
English La Isabel
Italian psq
5
Yves Duteil: Top 3
1.Prendre un enfant
2.Le Passeur de Lumière
3.Vivre sans vivre
Comments
florboxflorbox    Sat, 28/05/2022 - 16:57

turn inside out> overturn

La IsabelLa Isabel    Sat, 28/05/2022 - 19:39

Ok, thanks Flora,

Is really the only thing you noticed ?

If that is the case, I'm happy and hope it will help Salve a Selva who demanded the translation !

Soon

La IsabelLa Isabel    Sat, 28/05/2022 - 19:41

Ok, the changing is done!

florboxflorbox    Sat, 28/05/2022 - 20:53

The translation is very good. I loved especially this stanza :
"Because it's the same wind
Which blows their candle
A night where spring
Found them less beautiful
It gives to the oceans
Some new wrinkles
And shows to the kites
All the ways of heaven"

P E R F E C T

florboxflorbox    Sat, 28/05/2022 - 20:54

( instead of where, I would have said "when" though)

La IsabelLa Isabel    Sat, 28/05/2022 - 21:00

Ah, ok.

I think that with "capzise", it's the same problem that with "affondare". I mean that this verb is just for a boat or a ship, not to talk about a woman's heart. And it's exactly what the Wikipedia page explains. The first sentences talk about boats.

florboxflorbox    Sat, 28/05/2022 - 21:21

Hehe what a strange coincidence! We had the same discussion some days before ( about a verb with similar meaning) when discussing about the poem " Πορτοκαλιά" of Σαχτούρης.Yes, poetry does that. Metaphors are the very essence of poetry, actually ( I may suggest you watch a wonderful movie btw:" Il postino" ). Metaphor is a greek word meaning literally " to transfer". Here we have an attribute of material things being transferred to a person. It's strange ( this is also something poetry does, the famous defamiliarization that Russian formalists have pointed out) since we have been used to see metaphors be the other way around.
I will soon translate a greek-cypriot poem where again we have the same verb ( πουκουππίζουμαι in cypriot greek, αναποδογυρίζομαι in standard greek) with the very same meaning of being turned upside down the way a cup of coffee does Tongue smile
https://lyricstranslate.com/en/kostas-montis-fentzianin-lyrics.html

La IsabelLa Isabel    Sat, 28/05/2022 - 21:09

When/ Where, it's not a bing changing. I did it.
You said "Perfect", but I didn't write the text, if there is perfection, it's first to Yves Duteil that we must say "thank you"!

La IsabelLa Isabel    Sat, 28/05/2022 - 21:50

This remembers me something, I think it's the poem you translated in Spanish talking about a girl "al revés".
I didn't know what you wanted to say at this moment, but know I think it's the same idea, the same metaphor.
I didn't think about your translation doing this one, but yes it's coincidence and this song allows us to exchange about this while it was still a little suspended.

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