J’aime les filles
2 weeks ago
Friday, February 11, 2011
Torrey Canyon
Translation after the jump...
Je suis né
I was born
Dans les chantiers japonais
in the japanese shipyards
En vérité, j'appartiens
Indeed, I belong
Aux Américains
To Americans
Une filiale
An affiliate
D'une compagnie navale
to a shipping company
Dont j'ai oublié l'adresse
I've forgotten the address
A Los Angeles
In Los Angeles
Cent vingt mili' tonn's de pétrol' brut
One hundred twenty thousand tons of crude oil
Cent vingt mill' tonn's
One hundred twenty thousand tons
Dans le Torrey Canyon
In the Torrey Canyon
Aux Bermudes
In Bermuda
A trent' degrés de latitud'
at thirty degrees latitude
Se tient la Barracuda
Stands the Barracuda
Tankers Corporation
Tankers Corporation
Son patron
Its boss
M'a donné en location*
Rented me
A l'union Oil Company
to the Union Oil Company
De California
Of California
Cent vingt mili' tonn's de pétrol' brut
One hundred twenty thousand tons of crude oil
Cent vingt mill' tonn's
One hundred twenty thousand tons
Dans le Torrey Canyon
In the Torrey Canyon
Si je bats
So I beat
Pavillon du Liberia
the Flag of Liberia
Le cap'tain et les marins
The Captain and sailors
Sont tous italiens
Are all italians
Le mazout,
Oil,
Dont on m'a rempli les soutes,
With which I have filled the bunkers
C'est celui du Consortium
Is that of the consortium
British Petroleum
British Petroleum
*Thanks to the help of Débordante
Lyrics by Serge Gainsbourg, Translation by Greg Smith
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"Location" is a "faux ami"/false friend in English and in French:
ReplyDeleteIn French, "(une) location" is either a place to rent or the act of renting.
So here the translation should be something like: "Gave me for rent" (but does this sound right in English?) or "Rented me to the Union Oil Company of California".
@Débordante: Thanks for all your help. It's exactly what I hoped for when I started this blog. It means a lot.
ReplyDeleteGreg