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French
Original lyrics
Le Cancre
Il dit non avec la tête
Mais il dit oui avec le cœur
Il dit oui à ce qu'il aime
Il dit non au professeur
Il est debout
On le questionne
Et tous les problèmes sont posés
Soudain le fou rire le prend
Et il efface tout
Les chiffres et les mots
Les dates et les noms
Les phrases et les pièges
Et malgré les menaces du maître
Sous les huées des enfants prodiges
Avec des craies de toutes les couleurs
Sur le tableau noir du malheur
Il dessine le visage du bonheur.
Submitted by 
Gulalys on 2014-01-29
Gulalys on 2014-01-29Contributors: 
Valeriu Raut
Valeriu RautEnglish
Translation#1#2
The dunce
His head says no
but his heart says yes.
He says yes to what he loves
He says no to the teacher.
He's standing there,
being questioned,
and all the problems are posed.
Suddenly he gets the giggles.
He wipes the board clear of
the numbers and the words,
the dates and the names
the sentences and the traps.
Then, despite the teacher's threats,
and the jeers of the child prodigies,
with chalks of all colours,
on the black board of misfortune,
he draws the face of happiness.
Guest on 2016-10-19Translations of "Le Cancre"
English #1, #2
Comments
Gavin
I remember studying this classic in junior high.
At the time, I could hardly imagine I would try to translate it one day.