The last translation was one of my favourites – it’s rare to find mainstream pop music with lyrics as interesting to translate as those found in Bénabar’s songs.
This next translation is just as interesting and is a result of my growing enjoyment of French hip hop.
Sinik is one of the heavy weights (poids lourds) of the French Hip-Hop scene. His forthcoming album, Ballon d’or to be released in December will be his last before he dedicates himself to a career as a producer.
Sorry that it’s been two days since my last post but I wanted to get this right and I hope I’ve done it justice.
The song Je réalise is from his 2007 album Le toit du monde (the roof of the world). It features British singer James Blunt – an unlikely pairing certainly seeings as James Blunt is not considered one of the most “street” of British pop acts. Sinik raps in French while James Blunt sings extracts from his song “I’ll take everything” in English.
It’s always rewarding to translate Hip Hop tracks – it’s not always so much fun to listen to James Blunt but he sounds fine here.
Verbs
| Mentir | To lie |
la France n'est pas si belle, ma prof d'histoire a menti | |
France is not so beautiful, my history teacher lied | |
Vocabulary
| L'écart | Gap, difference |
J'ai vu l'écart entre la belle et la bête | |
I've seen the difference between beauty and the beast | |
| Délits | Crime, offence |
Dans la rue, tu sais les délits profitent aux hommes | |
In the street, you know that men profit from crime | |
| Came | Illegal drugs |
The verb "se camer" means "to be on drugs" | |
Dans dix ans, le kilo de came sera au prix du kilo de pomme | |
In ten years, a kilo of junk will be the price of a kilo of apples | |
| ZUP | Slum / Council Estate |
ZUP = zone à urbaniser en priorité which is equivalent to The Projects in America but probably best translated as "slum" in Britain. | |
J'ai compris ce qui allait pas d'ou venait le mal dans nos ZUP | |
I knew what wasn't going to come from the place that came the wrongs in our streets | |
| Une urne | Ballot Box |
Les voitures qui prenaient feu ne rentraient pas dans vos urnes | |
That the cars that caught fire did not fit in your ballot boxes | |
| Cachot | Prison cell |
Tous les jours des amis meurts au cachot | |
Every day friends die in a prison cell | |
| BAFA | Diploma for youth workers |
Brevet d'aptitude aux fonctions d'animation | |
Les voleurs se font coincer mais les violeurs ont le BAFA | |
Thieves get caught, but rapists get the BAFA | |
| Gêne | Discomfort |
Que dans la vie j'ai toujours senti ce gêne à quel point j'ai grave du mal a dire je t'aime à ceux que j'aime | |
That in life I have always felt this discomfort to the point where I have serious trouble to say "I love you" to those whom I love | |
Phrases / Idioms
| Avoir la patate | To have energy |
Ici, la guerre a la patate mais à la peine est la paix | |
Here the war is in shape, but peace is at risk | |
| ça fait mal | That hurts |
Ça fait mal quand je réalise que si peu de rêves se réalisent | |
It hurts when I realize that so few dreams come true | |
| Des courses poursuites | Track Races |
Je réalise la nuit des courses poursuites dans la ville | |
I know about racing cars at night in the streets | |
| Prêt à tout | Prepared to do anything |
Comment certains sont prêts à tout pour obtenir un plat chaud | |
How some people will stop at nothing to get a hot meal | |
| La fille d'à coté | Teh girl next door |
Les voisins c'est pas "les filles d'à coté" | |
Your neighbour is not "the girl next door" | |
| Droits de l'homme | Human rights |
Dans le pays des droits de l'homme des familles vivent à l'hotel | |
In the land of human rights families live in hotels | |
| Foutre le cafard à quelq'un | To bring somebody down |
Je comprenais le poids des mots, des fois la vie fout le cafard | |
I understood the weight of words, sometimes life gets you down | |
| Se faire coincer | To get caught |
Les voleurs se font coincer mais les violeurs ont le BAFA | |
Thieves get caught, but rapists get the BAFA | |
Je réalise - Sinik | I realise (translation of Je réalise by Sinik) |
| J'ai compris que les années se passe vite, c'est inquietant | I've realised that the years pass quickly; it's worrying | |
| Je me rends compte que Kelissa aura sept ans le vingt septembre | I'm aware that Kelissa will be seven on the 20th of September | |
| Que chaque jour, des hommes s'auto-détruisent à la hache | That each day men self-destruct at axe-point | |
| Et pour s'enfuir les plus fort traversent les mers à la nage | And to escape, the strongest swim oceans | |
| J'ai vu l'écart entre la belle et la bête | I've seen the difference between beauty and the beast | |
| Ici, la guerre a la patate mais à la peine est la paix | Here the war is in shape but peace is in danger | |
| Dans la rue, tu sais les délits profitent aux hommes | In the street you know that men profit from crime | |
| Dans dix ans, le kilo de came sera au prix du kilo de pomme | In ten years a kilo of junk will be the price of a kilo of apples | |
| J'ai compris tard que les regrets me pénalise | I was late to realise that regrets hold me back | |
| At ça fait mal quand je réalise que si peu de rêves se réalisent | And it hurts when I notice that so few dreams come true | |
| Que j'avance pas; que la justice ralentit | That I'm getting nowhere, that justice is slowing | |
| Que la France n'est pas si belle, ma prof d'histoire a menti | That France is not so beautiful, my history teacher lied | |
| Que dans la vie faire la paix n'est pas rentable | That in life making peace is not profitable | |
| J'ai compris que faire la paix c'est le cauchemar du marchant d'armes | I've realised that making peace is the nightmare of the arms dealer | |
| Je réalise la nuit des courses poursuites dans la ville | I know about racing cars at night in the streets | |
| Mais n'ayait crainte puisque la mort n'est que la suite de la vie | But having no fear because death is just the result of life | |
| And I'll take everything in this life | And I'll take everything in this life | |
| I'll join everyone when I die | I'll join everyone when I die | |
| Oh, these feet carry me far | Oh, these feet carry me far | |
| Oh, my body, oh, so tired. | Oh, my body, oh, so tired. | |
| Mouth is dry, hardly speak | Mouth is dry, hardly speak | |
| Holy spirit, rise in me | Holy spirit, rise in me | |
| Here, I swear | Here, I swear | |
| Forever is just a minute to me | Forever is just a minute to me | |
| And I'll take everything in this life | And I'll take everything in this life | |
| I'll join everyone when I die | I'll join everyone when I die | |
| J'ai compris ce qui allait pas d'ou venait le mal dans nos ZUP | I knew what wasn't going to come from the place that came the wrongs in our streets | |
| Que les voitures qui prenaient feu ne rentraient pas dans vos urnes | That the cars that caught fire did not fit in your ballot boxes | |
| Que tous les jours des amis meurts au cachot | That every day friends die in prison cells | |
| Comment certains sont prêts à tout pour obtenir un plat chaud | How some people will stop at nothing to get a hot meal | |
| J'ai compris que l'être humain ne fait rien d'autres que saigner | I've realised that a human being does nothing but bleed | |
| Que dans la vie se faire du mal est plus facile que s'aimer | That in life doing wrong is easier than loving each other | |
| Que les voisins c'est pas "les filles d'à coté" | That your neighbour is not "the girl next door" | |
| Que dans le pays des droits de l'homme des familles vivent à l'hotel | That in the land of human rights families live in hotels | |
| Comprenais le poids des mots, des fois la vie fout le cafard | Understanding the weight of words, sometimes life gets you down | |
| Les voleurs se font coincer mais les violeurs ont le BAFA | Thieves get caught, but rapists get the BAFA | |
| Que dans la vie j'ai toujours senti ce gêne | In life I have always felt this discomfort | |
| A quel point j'ai grave du mal a dire je t'aime à ceux que j'aime | To the point where I have serious trouble saying "I love you" to those I love | |
| And I'll take everything in this life | And I'll take everything in this life | |
| I'll join everyone when I die | I'll join everyone when I die | |
| Oh, and understand | Oh, and understand | |
| Cos all men die | Cos all men die |
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Don’t know your name, so I’ll call you, let’s say Sinik…Hello Sinik,
Your song is so well worded; America is no better, land of the free my ass…This is the land of the oppressed and imprisoned as well…
I feel for you amigo…love, to you, from me…peace!