Fallen Leaves
The film Fallen Leaves by Finnish auteur Aki Kaurimäki won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival 2023.
Kaurismäki specialises in films with marginalised people_ no one does it better. His deadpan style is unique, he has a genius for locating the humour of the darkest of situations. A prospective viewer may not feel attracted by a sort of love story between an alcoholic metal-worker and an ex-supermarket shelf-filler who has been sacked for sneaking a past its sell-by date item into her bag, with the key moment of the film being her shopping for an extra plate, a knife and a fork so she can treat him to dinner. But that sceptic viewer would have missed probably the best film of the year. The couple will walk into the sunset at the end to the strains of the famous Fallen Leaves by Jacques Prevert and Joseph Kosma, sung in Finnish.
As a hommage, I rushed home after the show yesterday and translated Prevert’s poem into English, and present original and English version here:
Fallen Leaves
Oh how I want you to keep in mind
Those blissful days when you were mine
The times when life was more sprightly
And the sun shone much more brightly
.
Autumn leaves gathered by the spadeful
You see, I’ve been unable to forget
The leaves gathered by the spadeful
Like memories and also regret
.
And in the north wind they’re blown away
On the cold shores of Lethe
See I can’t forget, have no fear
The song that you whispered in my ear
.
The autumn leaves gathered by the spadeful
Just like memories just like regret
But my love silent as a cygnet
Ever smiling and ever thankful
.
I was so enamoured you were so pretty
How could I ever forget thee
In those days life was so sprightly
And the sun shone much more brightly
.
You were my friend sweetest, the very best
But what’s the use of regrets
And the song you whispered in my ear
I’ll keep hearing forever and a year
.
A song that mirrored the two of us
You who loved me and I who loved you
And we had a life happy and glorious
You who loved me and I who loved you
.
But life will strive to part us
Quietly and without fuss
And the waves will creep in and
Wash our footprints in the sand
.
It’s a song that mirrored the two of us
You and I who loved each other
When we lived blissfully the two of us
You and I who loved each other
.
But life will strive to part us
Quietly and without fuss
And the waves will creep in and
Wash our footprints in the sand
.
Les Feuilles Mortes
Oh, je voudrais tant que tu te souviennes
Des jours heureux où nous étions amis
En ce temps-là la vie était plus belle
Et le soleil plus brûlant qu’aujourd’hui
.
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle
Tu vois, je n’ai pas oublié
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle
Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi
.
Et le vent du Nord les emporte,
Dans la nuit froide de l’oubli
Tu vois je n’ai pas oublié,
La chanson que tu me chantais
.
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle
Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi,
Mais mon amour silencieux et fidèle
Sourit toujours et remercie la vie
.
Je t’aimais tant, tu étais si jolie,
Comment veux-tu que je t’oublie?
En ce temps-là la vie était plus belle
Et le soleil plus brûlant qu’aujourd’hui
.
Tu étais ma plus douce amie
Mais je n’ai que faire des regrets
Et la chanson que tu chantais,
Toujours, toujours je l’entendrai
.
C’est une chanson qui nous ressemble,
Toi tu m’aimais, moi je t’aimais
Et nous vivions, tous deux ensemble,
Toi qui m’aimais, moi qui t’aimais
.
Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s’aiment,
Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable
Les pas des amants désunis
.
C’est une chanson qui nous ressemble,
Toi tu m’aimais et je t’aimais
Et nous vivions tous deux ensemble,
Toi qui m’aimais, moi qui t’aimais
.
Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s’aiment,
Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable
Les pas des amants désunis
