Je Pardonne Lyrics in English Zaz

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Je Pardonne by Zaz from French to English.

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I forgive to forget

I forgive to breathe

To stop stirring

The knives in my wounds

I forgive to make

Some room

To let the anxiety slide

And to recognize the child

I was in the mirror

I forgive against

All expectations

Whether it rains, whether it snows

Or the wind blows

To escape the grip

Of the dark years

Of the gray souls

I forgive the past, the future

For the screams and for

The whispers

So that those who've done me

Wrong

Stay alone with their

Dirty hands

I forgive, wrong or right

Bitterness isn't my home

Rage yes, but not resentment

Anger but not spite

I forgive and I want to hope

That they can forgive me too

I forgive you, I forgive myself

But I remember everything

That they made fun of me

For my face, for my voice

For my risks

And for my choices

Of course it stays there

But I gather the crumbs

And I forgive at the top of my lungs

Nothing haunts me

Nothing stops me

No grudge, no debt

And for all that

Wasn't told to me

All the I love you's

All the thanks

That stayed stuck

In a throat or in the air

Everything I wasn't given

I went and got it

I forgive absence

The lack and the silence

I forgive, wrong or right

Bitterness isn't my home

Rage yes, but not resentment

Anger but not spite

I forgive and I want to hope

That they can forgive me too

I forgive you, I forgive myself

But I remember everything

I forgive left and right

To feel the light

Of days being born

Of days that die

Every spark, every glimmer

I forgive and I want to hope

That they can forgive me too

I forgive you, I forgive myself

But I remember everything

Outro

I forgive you, I forgive myself

But I remember everything

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SONG MEANING

Je Pardonne is Zaz’s heartfelt anthem of liberation through forgiveness. Instead of letting old wounds keep “knives” twisting in her skin, the French singer decides to forgive so she can breathe again, clear space in her mind, and rediscover the child she once was. Every “I pardon” peels away heavy layers of bitterness, darkness, and grey souls from her past, letting in fresh light and oxygen. She forgives the past, the future, and even the people who hurt her, not to excuse their deeds but to keep their “dirty hands” from clinging to her spirit.

The chorus slips into Spanish—“Te perdono, me perdono, pero recuerdo todo” (“I forgive you, I forgive myself, but I remember everything”)—underscoring that forgiveness is both outward and inward, global and personal. Zaz admits the memories stay, yet she gathers the crumbs of her experiences, shouts forgiveness at the top of her lungs, and refuses to be haunted or held in debt. By pardoning silence, absence, and unspoken love, she claims every sparkle of new days being born and dying. The song is an uplifting reminder that we can choose rage without rancor, passion without poison, and hope that, in return, others might forgive us too.

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Zaz Je Pardonne Lyrics