Jaurès Lyrics in English Jacques Brel

Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Jaurès by Jacques Brel from French to English.
These English lyric translations are not yet verified.
Ils étaient usés à quinze ans
They were worn out at fifteen
Ils finissaient en débutant
They ended by beginning
Les douze mois s'appelaient décembre
The twelve months were called December
Quelle vie ont eu nos grand-parents?
What life did our grandparents have?
Entre l'absinthe et les grand-messes
Between absinthe and high masses
Ils étaient vieux avant que d'être
They were old before they were
Quinze heures par jour, le corps en laisse
Fifteen hours a day, the body on a leash
Laissent au visage un teint de cendres
Leave the face an ash complexion
Oui, notre Monsieur, oui notre bon Maître
Yes, our Sir, yes our good Master
Pourquoi ont-ils tué Jaurès?
Why did they kill Jaures?
Pourquoi ont-ils tué Jaurès?
Why did they kill Jaures?
On ne peut pas dire qu'ils furent esclaves
You can't say they were slaves
De là à dire qu'ils ont vécu
From there to say that they lived
Lorsque l'on part aussi vaincu
When we leave also defeated
C'est dur de sortir de l'enclave
It's hard to get out of the enclave
Et pourtant l'espoir fleurissait
And yet hope bloomed
Dans les rêves qui montaient aux yeux
In the dreams that rose to the eyes
Des quelques ceux qui refusaient
Of the few who refused
De ramper jusqu'à la vieillesse
To crawl into old age
Oui notre bon Maître, oui notre Monsieur
Yes our good Master, yes our Sir
Pourquoi ont-ils tué Jaurès?
Why did they kill Jaures?
Pourquoi ont-ils tué Jaurès?
Why did they kill Jaures?
Si par malheur ils survivaient
If unfortunately they survived
C'était pour partir à la guerre
It was to go to war
C'était pour finir à la guerre
It was to end up at war
Aux ordres de quelque sabreur
At the orders of some swordsman
Qui exigeait du bout des lèvres
Who demanded lip service
Qu'ils aillent ouvrir au champ d'horreur
Let them go open to the field of horror
Leurs vingt ans qui n'avaient pu naître
Their twenty years which could not have been born
Et ils mouraient à pleine peur
And they were dying in fear
Tout miséreux, oui notre bon Maître
All miserable, yes our good Master
Couverts de prêtres, oui notre Monsieur
Covered with priests, yes our Sir
Demandez-vous, belle jeunesse
Ask yourself, beautiful youth
Le temps de l'ombre d'un souvenir
The time of the shadow of a memory
Le temps du souffle d'un soupir
The time of the breath of a sigh
Pourquoi ont-ils tué Jaurès?
Why did they kill Jaures?
Pourquoi ont-ils tué Jaurès?
Why did they kill Jaures?
Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
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