In retaliation for our treatment of their banks, Iceland sent a cloud of volcanic ash over Britain yesterday which grounded all air traffic for the first time in our history.
Living in London and being used to hearing and seeing a new plane every couple of minutes, it feels very bizarre to be plunged back into the nineteenth century.
In recognition of this, here is a translation of Le Ciel est Gris (The Sky is Grey) by Volo. This is from the 2006 album Blancs Manteaux à Volo, although I think his latest album (En Attendant, Sep 2009) is much better.
I should mention that the correlation between the song and current events begins and ends with the title!
Verbs
| Frôler | To miss narrowly |
Emporté par la foule, ça frôle l'overdose | |
Carried away by the crowd, it's almost too much | |
| Saouler/souler | To make drunk/dizzy, to fuddle, confuse |
Même si c'est beau ça saoûle de voir la vie en rose | |
Although it's beautiful, it's nauseating to see the good life | |
| Rompre | To break up, break off |
Avant qu'on s'aime plus, on se disait "mon amour", depuis qu'on a rompu, on s'dit même plus bonjour | |
Before we stopped loving each other, we said "my love", since we broke up, we no longer even say hello | |
| Déborder | To overflow |
Les égouts sont remplis, ça déborde des gouttières | |
The sewers are full, they spill from the gutters | |
| Enfiler | To slip on/into (e.g. clothing) |
J'enfile mon manteau en speed sur le palier | |
I slip my coat on hastily on the landing | |
Vocabulary
| Le palier | Landing |
Je fais chauffer de l'eau, je bois vite un café | |
I put the kettle on, I quickly drink a coffee | |
| Un boulot | Job |
Quand je sors du boulot, il continue d'pleuvoir, je descend pas dans l'métro, en remontant le boulevard | |
When I leave work it's still raining, I don't go down into the subway when I go back up the boulevard | |
| Un égout | Sewer |
| Une gouttière | Gutter, drainpipe |
Les égouts sont remplis, ça déborde des gouttières | |
The sewers are full, they spill from the gutters | |
Phrases / Idioms
| Mettre l'eau à chauffer | To put the kettle on |
Je fais chauffer de l'eau, je bois vite un café | |
I put the kettle on, I quickly drink a coffee | |
| Faire la gueule | To sulk |
| Avoir la tête dans le cul | To have trouble concentrating due to lack of sun |
"Avoir la gueule dans le cul" means the same. | |
J'espère que j'serais pas le seul, ce matin, dans la rue à vouloir faire la gueule de la tête que j'ai dans le cul | |
I hope I'm not the only one this morning in the street wanting to sulk due to the lack of sunshine | |
| Ça frôle l'overdose | It's almost too much |
Emporté par la foule, ça frôle l'overdose | |
Carried away by the crowd, it's almost too much | |
| La vie en rose | The good life |
Même si c'est beau ça saoûle de voir la vie en rose | |
Although it's beautiful, it's nauseating to see the good life | |
| En train de | In the process of |
"En train de" is often used to translate the "ing" form, or "present continuous" tense of English verbs when it is necessary to emphasise that something is in the process of happening. "Je parle", for example can mean "I talk" or "I am talking" but if you want to be very clear that you are in the process of talking you would say "Je suis en train de parler." | |
Quand j'arrive je la vois, en train de discuter | |
When I arrive, I see her while she's talking | |
| Prendre l'air | To get some fresh air |
Je chante pas sous la pluie, j'ai besoin d'prendre l'air | |
I don't sing in the rain, I need to get some fresh air | |
Le Ciel Est Gris - Volo | The Sky Is Grey (translation of Le Ciel Est Gris by Volo) |
| Je ne me souviens pas si c'est un cauch'mar | I don't remember if it was a nightmare | |
| Je ne reconnaissais pas quelqu'un dans l'histoire | I did not recognize anyone in the story | |
| C'était un peu confus et j'me suis réveillé | It was a little confused and I awoke | |
| Je ne me souviens plus de ce que j'ai rêvé | I don't remember what I dreamed | |
| Je fais chauffer de l'eau | I put the kettle on | |
| Je bois vite un café | Have a quick coffee | |
| J'enfile mon manteau en speed sur le palier | I slip my coat on hastily on the landing | |
| J'espère que j'serais pas le seul | I hope I'm not the only one | |
| Ce matin, dans la rue à vouloir faire la gueule | This morning in the street wanting to sulk | |
| De la tête que j'ai dans le cul | Due to the lack of sunshine | |
| Le ciel est gris ça nuage bas | The sky is gray, the clouds are low | |
| Chacun pour soi | Every man for himself | |
| Le ciel est gris ça nuage bas | The sky is gray, the clouds are low | |
| Chacun pour soi | Every man for himself | |
| Le wagon n'est pas plein | The car is not full | |
| Mais pas de places assises | But there's nowhere to sit | |
| Un monsieur musicien | A gentleman musician | |
| Ne joue que des reprises | Only plays cover songs | |
| Emporté par la foule | Carried away by the crowd | |
| Ca frôle l'overdose | It's almost too much | |
| Même si c'est beau ça saoûle | Although it's beautiful, it's nauseating | |
| De voir la vie en rose | To see the good life | |
| Quand j'arrive je la vois | When I arrive, I see her | |
| En train de discuter | While she's talking | |
| Juste en face de moi | Just in front of me | |
| Dans l'bureau d'à coté | In the office next door | |
| Avant qu'on s'aime plus | Before we stopped loving each other | |
| On se disait "mon amour" | We said "my love" | |
| Depuis qu'on a rompu | Since we broke up | |
| On s'dit même plus bonjour | We no longer even say hello | |
| Le ciel est gris ça nuage bas | The sky is gray, the clouds are low | |
| Chacun pour soi | Every man for himself | |
| Le ciel est gris ça nuage bas | The sky is gray, the clouds are low | |
| Chacun | Everyone | |
| Quand je sors du boulot | When I leave work | |
| Il continue d'pleuvoir | It continues to rain | |
| Je descend pas dans l'métro | I don't go down into the subway | |
| En remontant le boulevard | When I go back up the Boulevard | |
| Les égouts sont remplis | The sewers are full | |
| Ca déborde des gouttières | It spills from the gutters | |
| Je chante pas sous la pluie | I don't sing in the rain | |
| J'ai besoin d'prendre l'air | I need to get some fresh air | |
| L'avantage quand il pleut | The good thing about the rain | |
| C'est qu'on peut bien pleurer | Is that you can cry | |
| On n'y voit que du feu | People only see the lights | |
| C'est que de l'eau salée | It's only salt water | |
| C'est que de l'eau salée | It's only salt water | |
| Le ciel est gris ça nuage bas | The sky is gray, the clouds are low | |
| Chacun chacun pour soi | Every man for himself | |
| Le ciel est gris ça nuage bas | The sky is gray, the clouds are low | |
| Chacun chacun chacun | Everyone |
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thks for the wonderful translation:)
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