Translation of A Tout Moment La Rue by Eiffel

December 6, 2009 at 4:45 pm

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As you can see, top right, Eiffel’s 2007 Album Tandoori is one of my Top 10 French language albums of the last five years.

Their latest release, A Tout Moment, released in October this year is contained within the Amazon widget to the left. I’ve just bought this album today and as I write this have not yet listened to it – this is today’s motivation to get to the gym. A treadmill full of Eiffel awaits me once I’ve published this post. Or should that be “an Eiffel of treadmill?”.

UPDATE: I’ve had my first listen to the album and there are a two or three tracks that sound great – in particular there is some blinding drumming and some truly dramatic sections of the film soundtrack kind. The clean guitar on Mort J’Appelle put me in mind of the acoustic sections that intersperse W.A.S.P.’s The Crimson Idol, an album which is one of my guilty pleasures and is currently coming nostalgically through my computer’s speakers. God, I’d forgotten how much I loved that damn album. When it finishes I am going to listen to Eiffel’s offering again and see if I can’t write a readable review.

The song I am going to translate here is A Tout Moment La Rue which you can listen to in its entirety online on their website where you can also find the lyrics.

We find another left-wing reference à la this song. Thanks to the community at the Word Reference Forums I now know that the “trois cent familles” is a reference to the concept that a small number of privileged and wealthy families are running the country.

We have a problem in the translation. Avoir pignon sur rue means to be well-established. In the lyric “ces trois cent familles qui sur la rue ont pignon à tout moment elle peut aussi dire non” the “elle” refers to “la rue” so we have to keep the word street in the translation of the expression. Which frankly isn’t possible so the translation is rather a hack. Ideas welcome.

Verbs

Perler	To appear (sweat, tear)
C'est un pincement de lèvres et la peur qui perle d'un front, la faune et la flore à cran en haillons
It's a pinching of the lips and the fear which wets your brow, the fauna and flora on edge, in rags

Vocabulary

Des bas-fonds	Slums
Au moindre murmure des bas-fonds c'est dans l'air comme un chant qui s'étrangle
At the slightest murmur from the slums it's in the air like a song that chokes

Un tintamarre	Racket, din
Un pavé	Cobblestone
Que d'un pavé de fortune contre le tintamarre du pognon
Just a makeshift pad against the racket of cash

Marteau pilon	Sledgehammer
Et l'éclat de nos palpitants dans l'ombre du marteau pilon
And the breaking of our hearts in the shadow of the sledgehammer

Arbres chevelus	Willow Trees
Non comme un oui aux arbres chevelus à tout ce qui nous lie quand la nuit remue
No meaning yes to willow trees, to all that binds us when the night stirs

Une déesse	Goddess
Aux astres et aux Déesses qui peuplent nos rêves et quand le peuple rêve à tout moment la rue peut aussi dire...
To the stars and the Goddesses who populate our dreams and when the people dream at any time the street can also say ...

Un astre	Star
Aux astres et aux Déesses qui peuplent nos rêves
To the stars and the Goddesses which populate our dreams

Phrases / Idioms

De fortune	Makeshift
Que d'un pavé de fortune contre le tintamarre du pognon
Just a makeshift pad against the racket of cash

à cran	On edge
En haillons	In rags
C'est un pincement de lèvres et la peur qui perle d'un front, la faune et la flore à cran en haillons
It's a pinching of the lips and the fear which wets your brow, the fauna and flora on edge, in rags

Disposer de soi-même	To make one's own choice
Et quand le peuple rêve il aime, disposer de lui même
And when the people dream they like to make their own choice

Expressions

Avoir pignon sur rue	To be well-established
A bien compter le monde est x fois plus nombreux que ces trois cent familles qui sur la rue ont pignon
Truly counting the population is many times more numerous than those three hundred established families on The Street

À Tout Moment La Rue - Eiffel

The street at any time (translation of À Tout Moment La Rue by Eiffel)

A chacun de nos souffles Au moindre murmure des bas-fonds C'est dans l'air comme un chant qui s'étrangle Que d'un pavé de fortune Contre le tintamarre du pognon A tout moment la rue peut aussi dire non (x2) C'est un pincement de lèvres Et la peur qui perle d'un front La faune et la flore à cran en haillons Et l'éclat de nos palpitants Dans l'ombre du marteau pilon A tout moment la rue peut aussi dire non (x2) Non comme un oui Aux arbres chevelus A tout ce qui nous lie Quand la nuit remue Aux astres et aux Déesses Qui peuplent nos rêves Et quand le peuple rêve A tout moment la rue peut aussi dire... Et si quelques points noirs En cols blancs poivrent nos cieux D'ondes occultes en tubes longs et creux A bien compter le monde Est x fois plus nombreux Que ces trois cent familles qui sur la rue ont pignon A tout moment elle peut aussi dire non Comme un oui Aux arbres chevelus A tout ce qui nous lie Quand la nuit remue Aux astres et aux Déesses Qui peuplent nos rêves Et quand le peuple rêve il aime Disposer de lui même (x2) Non comme un oui Aux arbres chevelus A toutes ces nuits qui nous lient Et même si elles ont trop bu C'est aux astres et aux Déesses Qui peuplent nos rêves Et quand le peuple crève A tout moment la rue peut aussi dire... A chacun de nos souffles Au moindre murmure des bas fonds C'est dans l'air comme un chant qui s'étrangle Que d'un pavé de fortune Contre le tintamarre du pognon A tout moment la rue peut aussi dire non

With each of our breaths At the slightest murmur from the slums It's in the air like a song that chokes Just a makeshift pad Against the racket of cash At any time the street can also say no (x2) It's a pinching of the lips And the fear which wets your brow The fauna and flora on edge, in rags And the breaking of our hearts In the shadow of the sledgehammer At any time the street can also say no (x2) No meaning yes To willow trees To all that binds us When the night stirs To the stars and the Goddesses Who populate our dreams And when the people dream At any time the street can also say ... And if a few black spots In white collars pepper our skies With secret waves in long hollow tubes Truly counting, the population Is many times more numerous Than those three hundred established families on the Street At any moment she can also say no Like a yes To willow trees To all that binds us When the night stirs To the stars and the Goddesses Who populate our dreams And when the people dream they like To make their own choice... No meaning yes To willow trees To all those nights that bind us And even if they have drunk too much It's to the stars and the Goddesses That populate our dreams And when the people die At any time the street can also say ... With each of our breaths At the slightest murmur from the slums It's in the air like a song that chokes Just a makeshift pad Against the racket of cash At any time the street can also say no