Les Oiseaux De Passage Lyrics in English by Georges Brassens
Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Les Oiseaux De Passage by Georges Brassens from French to English.
These English lyric translations are not yet verified.
Ô vie heureuse des bourgeois
Oh, happy life of the bourgeois
Qu'avril bourgeonne
Whether April buds
Ou que decembre gèle
Or December freezes
Ils sont fiers et contents
They are proud and content
Ce pigeon est aimé
This pigeon is loved
Trois jours par sa pigeonne
For three days by his hen
Ça lui suffit il sait
That's enough for him, he knows
Que l'amour n'a qu'un temps
That love only lasts a while
Ce dindon a toujours
This turkey has always
Béni sa destinée
Blessed his destiny
Et quand vient le moment
And when the moment comes
De mourir il faut voir
To die, you should see
Cette jeune oie en pleurs
This young goose in tears
C'est la que je suis née
"It's here that I was born
Je meurs presd de ma mère
I die near my mother
Et je fais mon devoir
And I do my duty"
Elle a fait son devoir
She did her duty
C'est a dire que Onques
That is to say that never
Elle n'eut de souhait
Did she have a wish
Impossible elle n'eut
Impossible, she had no
Aucun rêve de lune
Dream of the moon
Aucun désir de jonque
No desire for a junk (boat)
L'emportant sans rameurs
Carrying her without rowers
Sur un fleuve inconnu
On an unknown river
Et tous sont ainsi faits
And all are made this way
Vivre la même vie
To live the same life
Toujours pour ces gens là
Always, for these people
Cela n'est point hideux
That is not at all hideous
Ce canard n'a qu'un bec
This duck has only one beak
Et n'eut jamais envie
And never wanted
Ou de n'en plus avoir
Either to no longer have one
Ou bien d'en avoir deux
Or to have two
Ils n'ont aucun besoin
They have no need
De baiser sur les lèvres
For kisses on the lips
Et loin des songes vains
And far from vain dreams
Loin des soucis cuisants
Far from burning worries
Possèdent pour tout cœur
They possess for a heart
Un vicere sans fièvre
A feverless organ
Un coucou régulier
A regular heartbeat
Et garanti dix ans
And guaranteed for ten years
Ô les gens bien heureux
Oh, the very happy people
Tout à coup dans l'espace
All of a sudden in space
Si haut qu'ils semblent aller
So high they seem to go
Lentement en grand vol
Slowly in a great flight
En forme de triangle
In the shape of a triangle
Arrivent planent, et passent
Arrive, hover, and pass
Où vont ils? qui sont-ils ?
Where are they going? Who are they?
Comme ils sont loins du sol
How far they are from the ground
Regardez les passer, eux
Look at them passing, them
Ce sont les sauvages
They are the wild ones
Ils vont où leur desir
They go where their desire
Le veut par dessus monts
Wants it, over mountains
Et bois, et mers, et vents
And woods, and seas, and winds
Et loin des esclavages
And far from enslavement
L'air qu'ils boivent
The air they breathe
Ferait éclater vos poumons
Would make your lungs burst
Regardez les avant
Look at them before
D'atteindre sa chimère
Reaching their chimera
Plus d'un l'aile rompue
More than one, with a broken wing
Et du sang plein les yeux
And blood full in their eyes
Mourra. Ces pauvres gens
Will die. These poor people
Ont aussi femme et mère
Also have wives and mothers
Et savent les aimer
And know how to love them
Aussi bien que vous, mieux
As well as you, better
Pour choyer cette femme
To cherish this woman
Et nourrir cette mère
And nourish this mother
Ils pouvaient devenir
They could have become
Volailles comme vous
Poultry like you
Mais ils sont avant tout
But they are above all
Des fils de la chimère
Sons of the chimera
Des asoiffés d'azur
Thirsty for the azure
Des poètes des fous
Poets, madmen
Regardez les vieux coqs
Look at the old roosters
Jeune Oie édifiante
Edifying young Goose
Rien de vous ne pourra
Nothing of yours will be able
Monter aussi haut qu'eux
To rise as high as them
Regardez les vieux coqs
Look at the old roosters
Jeune Oie édifiante
Edifying young Goose
Rien de vous ne pourra
Nothing of yours will be able
Monter aussi haut qu'eux
To rise as high as them
Et le peu qui viendra
And the little that will come
D'eux à vous
From them to you
C'est leur fiante
Is their droppings
Les bourgeois sont troublés
The bourgeois are troubled
De voir passer les gueux
To see the beggars pass by
Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Did you like this lyrics translation?
chimère — chimera / pipe dream
Chimère translates to "chimera" or "pipe dream." It refers to an illusion, a fantasy, or an unattainable dream.
In the context of this song, Brassens uses "chimère" to represent the wild, untamed aspirations of the "oiseaux de passage" (birds of passage) – those who live freely, pursuing their desires despite the risks. It contrasts sharply with the mundane, predictable lives of the bourgeois, making it a central and evocative word in the lyrics.
Did you know?
In addition to reading lyric translations, you can now learn French with music and lyrics from your favorite artists.
No more boring lessons. You can now learn with engaging and culturally relevant lyrics from the best artists.
Rated 4.9 · Join 250,000+ learners
Apple and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc.
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
MORE GEORGES BRASSENS
Languages
Learn English with musicLearn Spanish with musicLearn French with musicLearn Portuguese with musicLearn Italian with musicLearn German with musicLearn Korean with musicLearn Russian with musicLearn Dutch with musicLearn Romanian with musicLearn Turkish with musicLearn Polish with musicLearn Swedish with musicLearn Finnish with music