Ne Me Quitte Pas Lyrics in English Jacques Brel

Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Ne Me Quitte Pas by Jacques Brel from French to English.
Don't leave me
We must forget
Everything can be forgotten
That already slips away
Forget the time
Of misunderstandings and wasted time
Trying to figure out how
Forget those hours
That sometimes killed with whys
The heart of happiness
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
I'll give you
Pearls of rain
From lands where it never rains
I'll dig the earth even after I'm dead
To cover your body with gold and light
I'll make a realm
Where love will be king, where love will be law
Where you'll be queen
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
I'll invent for you
Crazy words
That you'll understand
I'll tell you
About those lovers
Who saw twice
Their hearts blaze up
I'll tell you the story of that dead king
Who couldn't meet you
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
We've often seen
The fire burst again
From the old volcano
That we thought too old
There are, it seems
Burnt lands
Giving more wheat
Than the finest April
And when evening comes
So a sky blazes
The red and the black
Don't they merge
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
I'm not gonna cry anymore
I'm not gonna talk anymore
I'll hide there
To watch you dance and smile and
To listen to you sing and then laugh
Let me become the shadow of your shadow
The shadow of your hand
The shadow of your dog
But don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © Tratore, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Did you like these lyrics?
SONG MEANING

“Ne Me Quitte Pas” captures the raw plea of someone standing on the edge of abandonment. Jacques Brel paints a cinematic scene of desperation, promising rain-made pearls from deserts, fields of eternal spring, and even a kingdom where love is law and the beloved reigns supreme. Each offer grows more fantastical, underscoring how far the narrator will go to erase past misunderstandings and reclaim lost moments of happiness.

Yet beneath the poetic grandeur lies a haunting vulnerability. The singer is ready to silence his own voice, to fade into “the shadow of your shadow,” just to stay close. His repeated refrain “Ne me quitte pas” (“Don’t leave me”) becomes a heartbeat of fear and devotion, reminding us that love can inspire breathtaking beauty and, at the same time, push us to the brink of self-erasure. Listening to this song is like watching a candle flicker in a storm—fragile, dazzling, and impossible to ignore.

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.
LEARN SPANISH WITH MUSIC
Learn French with music with 1989 lyric translations from various artists including Jacques Brel
Get our free guide to learn French with music!
Join 49390 learners. Unsubscribe any time.
Google
Learn French with lessons based on similar songs!
Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
Apple and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc.
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
MORE JACQUES BREL