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Jacques Brel: “Quand on a que l’amour” (“When We Have Nothing But Love”)

Feb 9 2012

This French song never gets old. It got all the reasons to be “newsworthy” today.
Like being madly full of hope, in face of all the other reasons that make you feel like baisser les bras (giving up)… There will always going to be songs like these, in the words of people, in the songs, in their lyrics, so that le cœur du monde (the heart of the world) keeps beating.

— Mannick, a French Auteur-compositeur-interprète (Singer-songwriter) talking about the Belgian singer‘s song “Quand on a que l’amour” (“When We Have Nothing But Love.”)

A worthy interpretation of the famous Jacques Brel chanson (song) by la magnifique Patricia Kaas

Jacques Brel: “Quand on a que l’amour“

Quand on a que l’amour

When we have nothing but love

A s’offrir en partage

To afford sharing

Au jour du grand voyage

On the day of the big trip

Qu’est notre grand amour

That is our big love

Quand on a que l’amour

When we only have love

Mon amour, toi et moi

My love, you and me

Pour qu’éclate de joie

To burst of joy

Chaque heure et chaque jour

Each hour and each day

Quand on a que l’amour

When we only have love

Pour vivre nos promesses

To live our promesses

Sans nulle autre richesse

Without any other wealth

Que d’y croire toujours

Other than to still believe

Quand on a que l’amour

When we have nothing but love

Pour meubler de merveilles

To furnish with marvels

Et couvrir de soleil

And to cover by the Sun

La laideur des faubourgs

The ugliness of the suburbs

Quand on a que l’amour

When we have nothing but love

Pour unique raison

As a unique reason

Pour unique chanson

As a unique song

Et unique secours

And unique rescue

Quand on a que l’amour

When we have nothing but love

Pour habiller matin

To dress the morning

Pauvres et malandrins

Poor people and bandits

Aux manteaux de velours

With feutre coats

Quand on a que l’amour

When we have nothing but love

A s’offrir en prière

To afford as a prayer

Pour les maux de la terre

For the sufferings of the Earth

En simple troubadour

As a simple troubadour

Quand on a que l’amour

When we have nothing but

A offrir à ceux-là

To offer to those people

Dont l’unique combat

Whose unique struggle

Est de chercher le jour

Is to look for the day

Quand on a que l’amour

When we have nothing but love

Pour tracer un chemin

To trace a path

Et forcer le destin

And to force destiny

A chaque carrefour

At each crossroad

Quand on a que l’amour

When we have nothing but love

Pour parler aux canons

To speak to the canons

Et rien qu’une chanson

And nothing but a song

Pour convaincre un tambour

To convince a drum

Alors sans avoir rien

Without having anything then

Que la force d’aimer

Other than the power to love

Nous aurons dans nos mains

We shall have around our hands

Amis, le monde entier

My friends, the whole world

Une seconde… une minute… une heure !

Posted by Mr. Transparent 2 Comments

Sep 18 2011

Even les débutants (the beginners) at learning the French language get to enjoy the French Blog!

Today, you will review with us the basic unités du temps (units of time.)

* D’abord (first), il y a la seconde (there’s the second.)

“Le tour du monde en 80 secondes“ (“Around the world in 80 seconds“)!

Directed by two voyageurs: Romain Pergeaux and Alex Profit. A project completed in only 3 semaines (3 weeks.) This route is a tribute to the famous Jules Verne‘s book “Le tour du monde en 80 jours.” The making of the video, pictures of the trip, and an interview of Alex Profit can be viewed at http://www.tourdumonde80.fr!

* Ensuite, il y a la minute (then, there is the minute), qui se compose de soixante secondes (which is composed of sixty seconds.)

This short video will hit some readers as a “blast from the past”, especially the most nostalgiques of French TV in the 90s!

The générique of the News bulletin on the French channel M6 called “6 Minutes“—Some claim that the music includes a message in Morse code that says “M-6″… Can you confirm this?

- Soixante minutes nous donnent une heure (Sixty minutes give us an hour.)

“L’heure exquise“ (“The Exquisite Hour“) by the French and Venezuelan-born Reynaldo Hahn, a composition which famously brought fin de siècle symbolist Paul Verlaine to tears

* Et vingt-quatre heures nous donnent un jour (And twenty four hours give us a day.)

If you are new to the French Blog, you should know that this Noir Désir music video has already been featured here: “Un jour en France” (“A Day in France”)

* 365 jours, or 12 mois (12 months), forment une année (365 days form a year), except if it is une année bissextile which counts 366 days.

“Année” as in “Bonne année” (“Happy New Year”)!

* Et cent ans (one hundred years) nous donnent un siècle (give us a century.)

A short video briefly describing (in French) “le siècle des Lumières“ (“The Enlightenment“), and mentions the Duc d’Orléans—A pity that it doesn’t “shed any light”, even summarily, on the rather “obscure role” played by this very same British-backed Duke and his “3 SUiSSES” in undermining the truly bright work of Lafayette, Beaumarchais, and their “American-allied faction”!

* Enfin, dix siècles donne un millénaire (Finally, ten centuries give a millenium)!

Sommet du Millénaire de Montréal (Montreal Millenium Summit):
Many well-intentioned people (among others, with different “time agendas”, of course), aiming to get it “en plein mille” (“bull’s eye”, that is)!

Meet Ze CraZiest French Prankster On Ze Planet!

Posted by Mr. Transparent No Comments

Aug 25 2011

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you must have seen or heard of the hilariously crazy French phénomène called “RÉMI GAILLARD“… If not, then my friends, il est grand temps (it’s high time) for you to discover him!

How does one get to introduce a character like that?

Maybe since the last Coupe du Monde (World Cup) was such a fiasco for the French (among other teams), let us begin with his stunning footballistique skills!

You will see him in action in the video below, and wonder how come the French coach of the time, Raymond Domenech, never bothered to ask him to join the ranks of les Bleus squad in the South African Mondial…

At this point, ask anyone you want, it is completely safe to say that Rémi Gaillard is without any doubt the most famous and funniest prankster in France today!

You may wonder, how was he able to achieve this exploit?

In other words, how did it he pull it off?

Unlike so many other figures marquantes who came to national and even international prominence thanks to their behind-the-scenes “connections” with the world of le show business, Rémi was able to do it all by himself, and only by himself: It’s a well known fact that he’s a 100% self-made man, and doesn’t owe the “star makers” TF1, M6, or anyone else anything whatsoever!

While his motto is ostensibly simple, it hints at a certain sarcastic undertone, en filigrane (implicitely, that is), mostly aimed towards the mainstream media:

“C’est en faisant n’importe quoi qu’on devient n’importe qui“, translated in English by him as: “It’s by doing whatever that you become whoever“!

His many other hidden talents include a remarkable flair for déjouer (eluding) the security measures surrounding major events—especially sports events.

Asked about that several times, Rémi explained that instead of devising complex elaborate infiltration plans, it’s often enough to act très naturellement and just… “walk in”, comme si de rien n’était (like there was nothing wrong with that)!

In this video, you can see him crashing the final match of the 2002 Coupe de France, déguisé (disguised) as one of the football players who won the championship of that year!

He even managed to shake hands with then President Jacques Chirac, who apparently told him:“Vous avez très bien joué!“ (“You played very well!”)

Also très amustante, or “énorme“, is this one time when he crashed the Ligue Mondiale de Volley-ball, which is pretty much like the “World Cup of Volley-ball”…

Guess who was able to appear “live” on the Eurosport channel, standing next to the French players and singing à tue-tête (at the top of his lungs) the French national hymn, “la Marseillaise” !

Finally, whoever said that one needed to boast a musculature (muscle structure) of, say, a Governor of California, in order to take part in the highly competitive tournament of Mister Universe?

I actually don’t know, but ask he’ll definitely tell you how!

Victor Hugo Vs. Verdi’s Opéra: “A Woman is Fickle”

Posted by Mr. Transparent 1 Comment

Aug 12 2011

What do you think would happen when the brilliant French literary genius of Victor Hugo meets the magnificent Italian Opera virtuosity of Verdi? If you’ve got no idea yet, alors voici le résultat (then here’s the result)!

French legendary tenor Georges Thill sings Verdi’s Rigoletto, “Comme la plume au vent“ (In Italian “La donna è mobile“), an opera based on Victor Hugo’s controversial “le roi s’amuse” (“The King has fun”)

After Pavarotti, featured here on The French Blog two day’s ago, here’s Andrea Bocelli‘s performance of “la donna è mobile“

Italian Lyrics

“La donna è mobile“

Translation of the Italian Lyrics in English

French version
“Comme la plume au vent“

(“Like a feather in the wind“)

Translation of the French version in English

La donna è mobile

Qual piuma al vento,

Muta d’accento – e di pensieroSempre un amabile,

Leggiadro viso,

In pianto o in riso, – è menzognero.È sempre misero

Chi a lei s’affida,
Chi le confida – mal cauto il core!

Pur mai non sentesi

Felice appieno

Chi su quel seno – non liba amore!

A woman is always changing

Like a feather in the wind

She changes tone, and thoughts

Always a likable, gracious face

In laughter or in tears—She is a liarHe is always miserable
Whoever trusts her

Who unwisely entrusts her with his heart

Although he does not Completely feel happy

Whoever on this breast—does not drink love!

Comme la plume au vent

Femme est volage

Et bien peu sage – qui s’y fie un instant.

Tout en elle est menteur

Tout est frivole,

C’est chose folle – que lui livrer son cœur

Femme varie, femme varie,

Fol qui s’y fie – un seul instantComme la plume au vent

Femme est volage

Et bien peu sage – qui s’y fie un instant.

Trompé par leurs doux yeux,

J’ai l’air d’y croire,

Bornant ma gloire – à tromper encore mieux.

Femme varie, femme varie,

Fol qui s’y fie – un seul instant.

Like a feather in the wind

A woman is fickle

Not too wise is whoever trusts her even for a moment

All about her is lying

All about her is frivolous

What an insane thing it would be to entrust her with one’s heart

A woman changes, a woman changesMad is whoever trusts her – even for a moment

Like a feather in the wind
Woman is fickle

And not too wise is whoever trusts her – even for a moment

Deceived by the softness of their eyes

I feign credulity

Reserving my glory to deceiving even better

A woman changes, a woman changes

Mad is whoever trusts her – even for a moment

Jules Verne’s (Ex-) Space Mountain Paris: “De la Terre à la Lune—Un truc canon!”

Posted by Mr. Transparent No Comments

Nov 10 2010

- The ex-”Space Mountain Paris”: The fruit of the imagination of the French Jules Verne and the magic of the American DisneyIt was the time of la guerre de secession (Civil War) in America, pitting le Nord (the North) against le Sud (the South.) In this war, American Generals and soldiers alike saw what was back then called a “columbiad” as a powerful canon (cannon) that could help secure victory for their own side. However, a French scientist and futurologist by the name of Jules Verne, perceived in these cannons a quite different application. Instead of serving as des machines de la mort (machines of death), he sensed that they could littérallement (literally) propel humanity into the following century, by sending humans “De la Terre à la Lune”, meaning “From Earth to the Moon”—which is precisely the title of the Sci-Fi book he published in the aftermath of the war, in 1865.

* * *

The manned projectile to be launched onto the moon by the “columbiad” canon spatial (space gun)

The hero of Jules Verne’s novel was based on his personal friend Félix Nadar, a balloonist and photographer, who also inspired him the novel “Cinq semaines en ballon” (“Five Weeks in a Balloon”)

Fast forward to the 20^th century, after the Apollo 11 mission was crowned with success, l’astronaute Neil Armstrong himself saluted the pioneering genius of Jules Verne.Many years later, when Euro Disneyland opened a park in Paris, the idea of constructing an attraction based on the ideas of Jules Verne’s “De la Terre à la Lune” finally emerged.

* * *

An excellent 1995 documentaire (documentary) of the BBC, showing the making of Space Mountain Paris

Malheureusement (unfortunately), 10 years later, in 2005, most of the Jules Verne’s references were removed, ceding the place to Space Mountain Paris: Mission 2.

If you happen to go to Paris, and want to experience a Jules Verne attraction, you can always try another nearby attraction called “Les Mystères du Nautilus“, which is based on Jules Verne’s very famous novel “Vingt mille lieues sous les mers” (“Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea”) featuring the Captain Nemo!

Jules Verne’s very famous novel “Vingt mille lieues sous les mers” (“Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea”) was published in 1870, five years after “From the Earth to the Moon.”

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Posts under "Uncategorized"

Jacques Brel: “Quand on a que l’amour” (“When We Have Nothing But Love”)

Une seconde… une minute… une heure !

Meet Ze CraZiest French Prankster On Ze Planet!

Victor Hugo Vs. Verdi’s Opéra: “A Woman is Fickle”

Jules Verne’s (Ex-) Space Mountain Paris: “De la Terre à la Lune—Un truc canon!”