Translation of Déjà Loin from Version 3.0 by Marie-Mai

November 8, 2009 at 10:27 pm

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I can’t tell you how much this guy reminds me of myself about twenty years ago. He’s even using the same Gibson guitar I was grinding at the time and would’ve used to record almost exactly that video had YouTube been around in 1989. Thankfully it was not.

The song he is attacking is the song I’m going to translate today.

Marie Mai first gained fame as one of the finalists of Star Académie, a Québécois version of those shows such as X-Factor, Pop Idol, etc… that we have all come to know and [hate/love/ignore]. A talented singer who would be unlikely to make the cut on an English version as we seem to prefer to pick people that we can use for headline-fodder rather than finding real singers.

Marie-Mai’s latest album, Version 3.0 (a gag first pulled by Garbage in 1998 with their second album Version 2.0) was released at the end of September. I downloaded it from Amazon today and listened to it for the first time.

Her style is very much in the same arena as that of Avril Lavigne and although I’m not sure if I should admit it, I have to say that I do kind of enjoy this sort of rocky pop when it’s done well. Albeit in small doses.

The 2007 album Dangereuse Attraction opened with a very strong track called Mentir. As you may already know I keep a play list of songs to help me make it through my gym sessions and Mentir is a song that has been in that list for a while.

Version 3.0 does not start as well as Dangereuse Attraction, although the first two tracks are still pretty good. However track three C’est Moi descends into a realm of pop music with which I’m not really very comfortable – Cher-style voice screwery and other electro-effects – nothing horrific but enough to turn me off. Track four Garde Tes Larmes “Keep your tears” starts off in much the same vein although quickly improves with a chorus that is amongst the best on the album.

Next up is what I consider to be the strongest song on the album Secrets. It then all cruises along until Plaisirs Amers where we once again have to listen to voice-fiddling but this is balanced out with hints of some heavier guitar riffs which come excitingly close to leaning towards the metal that I often go into dark corners to listen to.

Rebâtir Notre Histoire is probably the weakest song. It starts pretty badly then tries to improve but then gives up.

The album finishes with the English language song Do You – half rock, half dance – decent enough but essentially just more of the same. This is, for me, the biggest problem with the album. Although perfectly solid with a very fine singer and some decent tracks, everything’s a little samey whereas I felt that Dangereuse Attraction had far more variety and interest.

Verbs

Briser	To break
Retenir	To keep, retain, hold back
Mon coeur est déja loin, rien ne le retient, le dernier de nos liens s'est brisé entre tes mains
My heart is already far away, nothing's holding it back, the last of our relationship broke in your hands

Envahir	To invade
Elle a saisi ton regard, tu as touché ses lèvres, envahi d'une fievre, il est trop tard
She caught your eye, you touched her lips, invaded by a fever, it's too late

Vocabulary

Les liens	Connections, relations
Le dernier de nos liens s'est brisé entre tes mains, tu as mis feu à notre histoire
The last of our relationship broke in your hands, you set our past on fire

Un serment	An oath
Tu comptes les jours et les heures et tu n'iras plus voir ailleurs, tu en fais serment
You count the days and hours and you'll no longer look elsewhere, you swear it

Phrases / Idioms

Remonter le temps	Turn back time
Remonter le temps, revenir en arriere, il est trop tard
Turn back time, go back, it's too late

Mettre le feu à	Set fire to
Le dernier de nos liens s'est brisé entre tes mains, tu as mis feu à notre histoire
The last of our relationship broke in your hands, you set our past on fire

Déjà Loin - Marie-Mai

Already Far Away (translation of Déjà Loin by Marie-Mai)

Elle a saisi ton regard Tu as touché ses lèvres Envahi d'une fievre Il est trop tard Tu t'est retrouvé trop loin Loin de nous loins de toi Tu veut rebrousser chemin Il est trop tard Mon coeur est déja loin Rien ne le retient Le dernier de nos liens s'est brisé entre tes mains Tu as mis feu à notre histoire Il est trop tard Mon coeur est déja loin Rien ne le retient Le dernier de nos liens s'est brisé entre tes mains Tu voudrais un nouveau départ Mais il est trop tard Juste un écart de conscience Juste un geste de trop Une flamme sur ma conscience Une lame dans le dos Regarder devant Regarder derriere Il est trop tard Remonter le temps Revenir en arriere il est trop tard [refrain] Tu comptes les jours et les heures Et tu n'iras plus voir ailleurs Tu en fais serment La prochaine à qui tu diras Qu'il n'y en a qu'une dans tes bras Ce ne sera pas moi [refrain]

She caught your eye You touched her lips Invaded by a fever It's too late You found yourself too far Far from us far from you You want to turn back It's too late My heart is already far away Nothing's holding it back The last of our relationship broke in your hands You set our past on fire It's too late My heart is already far away Nothing's holding it back The last of our relationship broke in your hands You want a fresh start But it's too late Just a difference of conscience Just a gesture too far A flame on my conscience A blade in my back Look ahead Look behind It's too late Turn back time Go back It's too late [chorus] You count the days and hours And you'll no longer look elsewhere You swear it The next to whom you'll say That there is only one in your arms It won't be me [chorus]