It’s been a couple of months since I made a translation here. I was out for a run last night listening for the first time to Bénabar’s 2003 debut album and the song Dis-Lui Oui made me chuckle a little and that was as good a reason as any to break the silence.
Bénabar’s songs are really great for anyone learning French – very lyrical, story driven songs with a great variety of vocabulary and natural expressions, and on top of that they are clearly sung by a man who’s voice is not intensely annoying like so many other French singers of the genre. I suspect his songs are in no danger of being labelled particularly cool, but most of them are catchy and often amusing.
Verbs
| Supplier | To beg |
| Supporter | To put up with |
Depuis que tu l'as quitté, il habite chez moi, je ne peux plus le supporter, Muriel aide-moi | |
Since you left him, he lives round my place, I can't stand it anymore, Muriel help me | |
| Engueuler | To tell off, to give an earful to |
| Frôler | To brush against, to miss narrowly |
J'ai frôlé la crise cardiaque, j'en ai encore mal dans le bras, il fait semblant d'être somnambule pour que je l'engueule pas | |
I almost had a heart attack, I can still feel it in my arm, he pretends to be sleepwalking so that I don't yell at him | |
Vocabulary
| Le chantage | Blackmail |
Avec tout ce que vous avez vécu, avoue que c'est dommage, et j' te dis pas combien il souffre, ça serait du chantage | |
With all you've been through, you'll admit it's a shame, and I won't tell you how much he's suffering, that would be blackmail | |
| Les fiançailles | Engagement |
Il me raconte votre vie dans les moindres détails, ce qui se passe dans votre lit depuis vos fiançailles | |
He tells me about your relationship in every detail, what happened in your bed since your engagement | |
Phrases / Idioms
| ça ne me regarde pas | It's none of my business |
| Foutre dehors | To kick out, to send packing |
Je sais bien, Muriel, que ça ne me regarde pas, tu l'as foutu dehors et je respecte ton choix | |
I know, Muriel, that it's none of my business, you kicked him out and I respect your decision | |
| Y mettre du sien | To pull one's weight, to play one's part |
Muriel, mon enfant, je t'aide parce que je t'aime bien, mais on ne s'en sortira pas, si t'y mets pas du tien | |
Muriel, my child, I'm helping you because I really like you, but we won't make it, if you don't pull your weight | |
Dis-Lui Oui - Bénabar | Tell him yes (translation of Dis-Lui Oui by Bénabar) |
| Je sais bien, Muriel, que ça ne me regarde pas | I know, Muriel, that it's none of my business | |
| Tu l'as foutu dehors et je respecte ton choix | You kicked him out and I respect your decision | |
| Mais il voudrait revenir... d'accord, j'insiste pas | But he wants you back... OK, I won't push it | |
| C'est mon ami quand même ! Non, C'est pas lui qui m'envoie | He is my friend though, no, he didn't send me | |
| Ça me fait de la peine, vous alliez si bien ensemble | It's difficult for me, you were so good together | |
| Six ans de vie commune mais je veux pas le défendre | Six years living together, but I don't want to defend him | |
| Avec tout ce que vous avez vécu, avoue que c'est dommage | With all you've been through, you'll admit it's a shame | |
| Et j' te dis pas combien il souffre | And I won't tell you how much he's suffering | |
| Ça serait du chantage | That would be blackmail | |
| Muriel je t'en prie | Muriel, please | |
| Je t'en supplie | I beg you | |
| Dis-lui oui | Tell him yes | |
| Depuis que tu l'as quitté, il habite chez moi | Since you left him, he lives round my place | |
| Je ne peux plus le supporter, Muriel aide-moi | I can't stand it anymore, Muriel help me | |
| Il veut toujours qu'on parle et qu'on parle que de lui | He always wants to talk and to talk about himself | |
| La discussion consiste à l'écouter, à dire " oui " | The discussion consists of listening to him and saying "yes" | |
| Le seul moment tranquille c'est quand il t'écrit | The only moment of peace is when he's writing to you | |
| Mais les poèmes de cinq pages, après il me les lit | Poems five pages long, and then he reads them to me | |
| Il me raconte votre vie dans les moindres détails | He tells me about your relationship in every detail | |
| Ce qui se passe dans votre lit depuis vos fiançailles | What happened in your bed since your engagement | |
| Je suis un gentleman, je répéterai pas, c'est intime | I am a gentleman, I won't repeat it, it's too intimate | |
| Rassure-toi Muriel... espèce de petite coquine | Rest assured Muriel, you saucy little thing | |
| Il va et vient la nuit à n'importe quelle heure | He comes and goes at all hours of the night | |
| Il fouille dans ma chambre pendant que je dors | He rummages round my room while I sleep | |
| J'ai frôlé la crise cardiaque, j'en ai encore mal dans le bras | I almost had a heart attack, I can still feel it in my arm | |
| Il fait semblant d'être somnambule pour que je l'engueule pas | He pretends to be sleepwalking so that I don't yell at him | |
| Tu sais, c'est un mec bien mais j' veux pas t'influencer | You know, he's good guy but I don't want to influence you | |
| Il gagne pas mal sa vie, à deux c'est mieux pour le loyer | He does all right for himself, and two people are better for the rent | |
| Voyons les choses en face, t'es pas non plus terrible | Let's face it, you're not so hot yourself | |
| Regarde-toi dans une glace, Muriel, faut être lucide | Look at yourself in the mirror, Muriel, be honest | |
| Bon, il a des torts, il t'a trompée c'est vrai | Well, he has faults, he cheated on you it's true | |
| Avec ta mère d'accord mais ramène pas tout à toi | With your mother, fair enough, but don't blame it all on him | |
| Muriel, mon enfant, je t'aide parce que je t'aime bien | Muriel, my child, I'm helping you because I really like you | |
| Mais on ne s'en sortira pas, si t'y mets pas du tien | But we won't get through this, if you don't pull your weight |
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks!!
Thank you very much for this site! Right now I’m starting to learn French on my own, and there is no better way to ‘catch’ the language than through the lyrics. And the fact that you explain more difficult phrases and words, makes your site just fantastic. Keep up the good work! Thanks!