Sunday, March 28, 2010

La Javanaise (The Javanese)

Sung by Serge


J'avoue j'en ai bavé pas vous
I confess I've had a hard time, haven't you
Mon amour
My love
Avant d'avoir eu vent de vous
Before I caught wind of you
Mon amour
My love

Ne vous déplaise
If you don't mind
En dansant la Javanaise
while dancing the Javanaise
Nous nous aimons
We'll love be in love
Le temps d'une chanson
for the length of the song

A votre avis qu'avons-nous vu
In your opinion have we seen
De l'amour
Love
De vous à moi vous m'avez eu
Between you and me, you got me
Mon amour
My love

Ne vous déplaise
If you don't mind
En dansant la Javanaise
while dancing the Javanaise
Nous nous aimons
We love each other
Le temps d'une chanson
for the length of the song

Hélas avril en vain me voue
Alas in april I gave myself in vain
A l'amour
to love
J'avais envie de voir en vous
I wanted to see in you
Cet amour
this love

Ne vous déplaise
If you don't mind
En dansant la Javanaise
while dancing the Javanaise
Nous nous aimons
We'll love be in love
Le temps d'une chanson
for the length of the song

La vie ne vaut d'être vécue
Life's not worth living
Sans amour
Without love
Mais c'est vous qui l'avez voulu
But it's you who wanted it
Mon amour
My love

Ne vous déplaise
If you don't mind
En dansant la Javanaise
while dancing the Javanaise
Nous nous aimons
We'll love be in love
Le temps d'une chanson
for the length of the song




Lyrics by Serge Gainsbourg, Translation by Greg Smith

3 comments:

  1. Mike: Maybe you didn't read the name of the blog, but I'm doing exactly that (trying to guess the meanings of sentences).

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  2. I really recommend learning some basics before guessing, these songs carry a valuable message, that anyone would benefit from understanding correctly. Have you tried 'duolingo.com'? It gives you a lot of the basics very quickly and quite effortlessly : ) I get what you're doing though, I do the same the other way around (translating english songs into french) and it's so much more fun than conventional studying : ))

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    Replies
    1. I have been using duolingo recently, I think it's great. I wish they had it when I first started this project. In regards to the valuable messages, I really enjoy getting feedback and help with the deeper meanings and always add the corrections when I get them, so if you would like to make suggestions I will gladly change a translation to something better. Thanks!

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