Surely Carla Bruni, being married to the French President himself, is a fair candidate to be the first lady vocalist to be translated on this site.
Guitar Chords
A / E / F#m / Dsus2 (Regular D with an open E string)
This is a semi-tone lower than the way Carla plays it – put a capo on the first fret to play in the same key.
Verbs
| Faner | To whither, wilt |
On me dit que nos vies ne valent pas grand chose, elles passent en un instant comme fânent les roses | |
I was told that our lives are not worth much, passing in an instant like withering roses | |
Vocabulary
| Un salaud | Bastard - offensive |
On me dit que le temps qui glisse est un salaud que de nos chagrins il s’en fait des manteaux | |
I am told that the time slipping past is a bastard cloaking itself in our sorrows | |
| Les traits | Facial features |
J’entend encore la voix, mais je ne vois plus les traits | |
I still hear the voice, but I can’t see the face | |
Phrases / Idioms
| à portée de main | Within reach |
Paraît qu’le bonheur est à portée de main, alors on tend la main et on se retrouve fou | |
When it seems that happiness is close at hand, we reach out and appear foolish | |
Quelqu'un m'a dit - Carla Bruni | Someone told me (translation of Quelqu'un m'a dit by Carla Bruni) |
| On me dit que nos vies ne valent pas grand chose, | I'm told that our lives aren't worth much | |
| Elles passent en un instant comme fânent les roses. | They pass in an instant like withering roses | |
| On me dit que le temps qui glisse est un salaud | I'm told that the time that slides by is a bastard | |
| Que de nos chagrins il s'en fait des manteaux | That it cloaks itself in our sorrows | |
| Pourtant quelqu'un m'a dit... | Yet someone told me... | |
| Que tu m'aimais encore, | That you still loved me | |
| C'est quelqu'un qui m'a dit que tu m'aimais encore. | Someone who told me that you loved me still | |
| Serais-ce possible alors ? | So could it be true? | |
| On me dit que le destin se moque bien de nous | I'm told that destiny truly mocks us | |
| Qu'il ne nous donne rien et qu'il nous promet tout | That it gives us nothing and promises everything | |
| Paraît qu'le bonheur est à portée de main, | When it seems that happiness is close at hand | |
| Alors on tend la main et on se retrouve fou | We reach out and make fools of ourselves | |
| Pourtant quelqu'un m'a dit... | Yet someone told me... | |
| Que tu m'aimais encore, | That you still loved me | |
| C'est quelqu'un qui m'a dit que tu m'aimais encore. | Someone who told me that you loved me still | |
| Serais-ce possible alors ? | So could it be true? | |
| Mais qui est-ce qui m'a dit que toujours tu m'aimais ? | But who told me that you still loved me? | |
| Je ne me souviens plus c'était tard dans la nuit, | I no longer remember it was late at night | |
| J'entend encore la voix, mais je ne vois plus les traits | I still hear the voice, but I can't see the face | |
| "Il vous aime, c'est secret, lui dites pas que j'vous l'ai dit" | "He loves you, it's secret, don't tell him that I told you" | |
| Tu vois quelqu'un m'a dit... | You see someone told me... | |
| Que tu m'aimais encore, | That you still loved me | |
| C'est quelqu'un qui m'a dit que tu m'aimais encore. | Someone who told me that you loved me still | |
| Serais-ce possible alors ? | So could it be true? | |
| Que tu m'aimais encore, me l'a t'on vraiment dit... | That you loved me still - did someone really tell me? | |
| Que tu m'aimais encore, serait-ce possible alors ? | That you loved me still - could it be possible? |
