La Fin De L'été Lyrics in English by Françoise Hardy
Orages translates to "storms" or "thunderstorms". While it's a common word, its use in this song is particularly evocative and fits the melancholic mood of the lyrics.
Françoise Hardy sings, "J'en ai vu, des orages / On en voit à tout âge / À la fin de l'été" (I've seen storms / We see them at every age / At the end of summer). Here, "orages" serves as a metaphor for life's difficulties and emotional turmoil, especially as summer (a time often associated with joy and warmth) comes to an end. This dual meaning of literal weather and emotional hardship makes it an interesting and poignant choice.
Françoise Hardy's "La Fin De L'été" [The End of Summer] is such a beautiful, bittersweet song about a love that's fading as the seasons change. She starts by telling us she's traveled a lot and seen many other beaches, but she's forgotten them all. She's also been through many storms in life, yet she's still there, near her love, in the rain. She wonders, "Alors, je voudrais bien savoir le pourquoi / Qui me fait rester là, près de toi / Sous la pluie, ce soir" [So, I'd really like to know why / I'm staying here, near you / In the rain, tonight].
It's like she's looking at the same beach, but everything feels different because she's different. Then the mood shifts as she realizes her partner wants to travel, forget their beach, and leave everything behind. She's left alone, searching for the reason he's leaving her, perhaps forever. The rain on her face mixes with tears she can't hide, but even as he's leaving, she wants to tell him, "Encore plus fort 'je t'aime' / Jusqu'au prochain été" [Even louder 'I love you' / Until next summer]. It's a really poignant look at a love that's ending, but with a lingering hope for what might come next.
