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Ensemble nous resterons,
Main dans la main.
Together we'll stand
Hand in hand.
("stand" in the sense of "resist and survive")
La brise qui fait danser,
Ses feuilles mortes.
The breeze that makes
Its dead leaves dance.
A ceux qui se sont battus
Pour que Paris reste libre,
Que Paris reste Paris
La tête haute.
To those who fought
So that Paris might stay free,
So that Paris might still be Paris
With a head held high.
Dans l'unique espoir de vivre
La tête haute.
Their only hope being to live
With a head held high.
Nous reprendrons les accents
Des aînés qui ne sont plus.
Leurs mots au milieu des nôtres,
Nous chanterons.
We'll recover the accents
Of the elders who are gone.
With their words mingled with ours,
We will sing.
"Non, je ne regrette rien"
"No! I will have no regrets"
(from the official English version sung by Edith Piaf; or, from an unofficial, more literal translation: "No! I regret nothing at all")
Il vous donnera raison,
Il sera à votre image,
The future will do you justice,
It will reflect what you are,
Vous pourrez voir refluer
Le fanatisme, la haine,
You will see a resurgence
Of fanaticism, hatred,
Que jamais plus la terreur
Ne vienne souiller nos villes,
Ni jamais jamais la haine
Souiller nos cœurs.
May terror never again
Come to stain our cities,
May hatred never ever
Stain our hearts.
Que la musique demeure,
Dans nos rues comme en nos âmes,
Pour toujours un témoignage
De liberté.
May music live
In our streets as well as in our souls,
This song is a tribute to the french people who died during attacks on november and one year ago. I'll stay Charlie forever !
This song is a description of Paris with a lot of contextual elements :
- Songs renowned in the world :
"I have two loves" Josephine Baker (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lLly_oHvSo); "Sweet France" Charles Trenet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EbBbezVtUQ); "No, I don't feel sorry about anything" Edith Piaf (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Kvu6Kgp88)
- Cultural facts :
"Friend, do you hear," anthem of the french resistance during WW2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey_7JeK--u8) ; "Paname" is the nickname of Paris used by the youngs (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Paname) ; "The beach under its cobblestones" refers to "Sous les pavés la plage" a slogan during the civil unrest of May 68 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_1968_events_in_France)
- Famous francophone authors/poets/dramatists :
Racine (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Racine), Senghor (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9opold_S%C3%A9dar_Senghor), Apollinaire (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume_Apollinaire), Proust (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Proust), Kateb Yacine (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kateb_Yacine)