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Tag: edith piaf

Sous le ciel de Paris

Under the Parisian Sky

Beneath the Parisian sky
A song flutters away,
It was born today
In a young man’s heart
Beneath the Parisian sky
Lovers walk about,
Their happiness built
Upon a tune made just for them

Beneath the Pont de Bercy
There’s a seated philosopher
Two musicians and a few onlookers
And then people in the thousands
Beneath the Parisian sky
Will sing into the evening
The hymn of the people in love
With their old city

Near Notre Dame
Perhaps trouble’s brewing
But in “Paname” everything gets worked out
A few rays
From the summer sky
The accordion
Of a sailor
Hope is blossoming
In the Parisian sky

Beneath the Parisian sky
A joyous river flows
That lulls the tramps
And beggars to sleep
Beneath the Parisian sky
God’s birds
Come from around the world
To chat among themselves

The Parisian sky
Has its own secret
For twenty centuries it has been in love
With our Île Saint-Louis
When she smiles at him
He puts on his blue suit
When it rains over Paris
It’s because he’s sad
When he is jealous
Of her millions of lovers
He unleashes upon us
His roaring thunder
But the Parisian sky
Is not cruel for long
So that he may be forgiven
He offers a rainbow

In French:

sous le ciel de paris
s’envole une chanson
elle est née d’aujourd’hui
dans le cœur d’un garçon
sous le ciel de paris
marchent des amoureux
leur bonheur se construit
sur un air fait pour eux

sous le pont de bercy
un philosophe assis
deux musiciens quelques badauds
puis les gens par milliers
sous le ciel de paris
jusqu’au soir vont chanter
l’hymne d’un peuple épris
de sa vieille cité

près de notre dame
parfois couve un drame
oui mais à paname
tout peut s’arranger
quelques rayons
du ciel d’été
l’accordéon
d’un marinier
l’espoir fleurit
au ciel de paris

sous le ciel de paris
coule un fleuve joyeux
il endort dans la nuit
les clochards et les gueux
sous le ciel de paris
les oiseaux du bon dieu
viennent du monde entier
pour bavarder entre eux

et le ciel de paris
a son secret pour lui
depuis vingt siècles il est épris
de notre ile saint louis
quand elle lui sourit
il met son habit bleu
quand il pleut sur paris
c’est qu’il est malheureux
quand il est trop jaloux
de ses millions d’amants
il fait gronder sur nous
son tonnerr’ éclatant
mais le ciel de paris
n’est pas longtemps cruel
pour se fair’ pardonner
il offre un arc en ciel

La Vie En Rose

Edith Piaf’s signature song is La Vie en rose” (French for “Life through rose-coloured glass,” literally “Life in pink”). The song embodies Frenchness with a full-bodied pathos expressing love & happiness, with undertones of sadness.

Literal Translation follows:
Eyes that caress mine
A laugh that looses itself on his lips
This is the unaltered picture
Of the man to whom I belong

When he takes me in his arms
He speaks to me softly
I see life through rose-colored glasses

He tells me words of love
Everyday words
And that does something to me

Some happiness has
Come into my heart
Of which I know the cause

It’s him for me, me for him
Throughout life
You said it to me, you’ve sworn it for life

And ever since
I can feel inside of me
My beating heart

Nights of love that will never end
Happiness replaces
Troubles and sorrows
Happiness, happiness to die for

When he takes me in his arms
He speaks to me softly
I see life through rose-colored glasses

He tells me words of love
Everyday words
And that just does something to me

Some happiness has
Come into my heart
Of which I know the cause

It’s you for me, me for you
Throughout life
You said it to me, you’ve sworn it for life

And ever since
I can feel inside of me
My beating heart

More notes from googling follows:

“La Vie en Rose” is “Life in Pink (Rose)”.
“Je vois la vie en rose” means wordly “I see the life in pink” and the meaning is:
- “I am feeling happy about life”
- “I am optimistic”
- “I feel fine”
- “Everything is OK”
- “I forget about all worries and depression”
- “I am seeing life through rosa-pink eyeglases”

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