Jacques Prévert’s Autumn Leaves
Jacques Prévert’s Les Feuilles Mortes is one of the French surrealist poet’s most romantic oeuvre. He is not someone you could easily call a romantic, but he had those surprising streaks in him. As many of his poems, this has been set to music and sung, not only in French, but in a number of languages. Joseph Kosma’s composition is certainly the best known, and Serge Reggiani and Juliette Gréco are among the dozens of artists who have performed this and many other songs of the poet. Translations in English exist, but I wanted to do my own. Prévert was an unconventional poet, and although he paid attention to rhythm, he did used rhymes erratically. I have tried to do the same.
Prévert
Oh, je voudais 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
English version
Oh I so wish you’d remember the days
When we were friends and happy
Those days when life was much lovelier
And the sun shone much more brightly
.
The dead leaves of autumn are gathered in spades
You see I’ve never forgotten it
The dead leaves of autumn are gathered in spades
As are our memories and regrets
.
And the north wind blows them away
In the dark night of forgetting
You see I’ve forgotten nothing
Not the refrain you sand to me
.
The dead leaves of autumn are gathered in spades
As are our memories and regrets
But my silent and faithful love
Keeps smiling saying thank you life
.
I loved you so, you were so pretty
How can I ever forget you?
In those days life was much happier
And the sun shone much more brightly
.
And you have been my sweetest friend
But what’s the value of regretting?
Still the song that you kept singing
Will always in my ears keep ringing
.
The song that we sang defined us
You who loved me, I who loved you
We lived you and I a life harmonious
As you loved me so I loved you
.
But life keeps apart those in love
Making no noise, making no scene
And the waves on the sand wipe clean
The footprints of lovers kept apart
.
The song that we sang defined us
You who loved me, I who loved you
We lived you and I a life harmonious
As I loved you so you loved me
.
And the waves on the sand wipe clean
The footprints of parted lovers
Making no noise making no scene
The footprints of lovers kept apart
