L'Observatoire Lyrics in English by Benjamin Biolay
Below, I translated the lyrics of the song L'Observatoire by Benjamin Biolay from French to English.
Dans les cèdres, il y a le temps qui nous précède
In the cedars, there's the time that precedes us
Il y a le printemps qui décède, il y a du fado et du Phèdre
There's spring that dies, there's fado and Phèdre
Sous l'azur, de villas en villégiatures
Under the azure, from villas to holiday resorts
Chacun bâtit son futur et va de ratés et ratures
Everyone builds their future and goes from failures and scratch-outs
Si en apparence il fait beau, il ne fait pas loin de zéro
If it looks nice, it's not far from zero
Peu de soleil et pas d'espoir depuis l'observatoire
Little sun and no hope from the observatory
Dans la plaine, il y a le temps qui nous enchaîne
In the plain, there's the time that chains us
ÀA nos douleurs et à nos peines, déçu de nos desseins obscènes
To our pains and sorrows, disappointed by our obscene designs
Mais sur l'autre rive, les plaisanciers les badauds ivres
But on the other bank, the boaters, the drunken onlookers
De bonheur en définitive, pas un radeau qui ne dérive
Drunk with happiness ultimately, not a raft that doesn't drift
Si en apparence il fait beau, sous la glace il n'y a plus d'eau
If it looks nice, under the ice there's no more water
Peu de soleil et pas d'espoir depuis l'observatoire
Little sun and no hope from the observatory
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Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
BENJAMIN BIOLAY, BENJAMIN GERARD FABIEN BIOLAY
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observatoire — observatory
Observatoire translates to "observatory". It's a unique and evocative word that immediately brings to mind a place of looking out, watching, and perhaps a sense of detachment or perspective.
In the context of the song, it's used to describe a viewpoint from which the singer observes the world, noting both beauty and decay, hope and despair. The line "depuis l'observatoire" (from the observatory) suggests a place of contemplation, where one can see the bigger picture, even if that picture is bleak. This makes it a central and memorable image in the lyrics.
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