I'm translating one Serge Gainsbourg song every day or so, in a misguided attempt to learn to read and write in french. Feel free to help me fix my translations or get me hints about underlying meanings.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
No no thank's no
Translation after the jump...
No No Thanks No Je n'fum' qu'la marijuana I only smoke marijuana* No no thank's no A quoi bon insister What good is it to insist No no thank's no Ma dernière cigarette My last cigarette No no thank's no Est déjà refroidie has already cooled
No no thanks no Je n'aime que le bourbon I only like bourbon No no thank's no C'est une affair' de goût It's a matter of taste No no thank's no Mon dernier verr' je l'ai vidé My last drink I've emptied No no thank's no Avec Rosemary With Rosemary
No no thanks no Pour moi pas de prières For me, no prayers No no thank's no Dieu m'a abandonné God's abandoned me No no thank's no Je serai pleuré demain I'll be cried for tomorrow* No no thank's no Par mes frèr's de Harlem By my brother's from Harlem*
Lyrics by Serge Gainsbourg, Translation by Greg Smith with help from Konrad and sharabiaa
"Je n'fum' qu'la marijuana" means: "I don't smoke [anything] but marihuana" or "I only smoke weed" :)
ReplyDeleteLook here for a discussion on "ne-que" construction: http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/only.htm
Hi !
ReplyDeleteI'm french and the translation is not good.
Je n'fum' qu'la marijuana MEANS I only smoke marijuana
Je serai pleuré demain MEANS I'll be cried tomorrow
Par mes frères de Harlem MEANS By my brother from Harlem
I guess the last sentence doesn't make much sense in english. It would be something like "My brother from Harlem will cry for me tomorrow"
I hope it would help !
Cheers ! bon courage :)
Thanks, a lot! Added your corrections
ReplyDelete