Ces Petits Riens Lyrics in English by Serge Gainsbourg
Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Ces Petits Riens by Serge Gainsbourg from French to English.
Mieux vaut n'penser à rien
It's better to think of nothing
Que n'pas penser du tout
Than not to think at all
Rien c'est déjà
Nothing is already
Rien c'est déjà beaucoup
Nothing is already a lot
On se souvient de rien
We remember nothing
Et puisqu'on oublie tout
And since we forget everything
Rien c'est bien mieux
Nothing is much better
Rien c'est bien mieux que tout
Nothing is much better than everything
Mieux vaut n'penser à rien
It's better to think of nothing
Que de penser à vous
Than to think of you
Ça n'me vaut rien
It's worth nothing to me
Ça n'me vaut rien du tout
It's worth absolutely nothing to me
Comme si de rien
As if nothing were amiss
N'était je pense à tous
I think of all
Ces petits riens
These little nothings
Qui me venaient de vous
That came to me from You
Si c'était trois fois rien
If it were three times nothing
Trois fois rien entre nous
Three times nothing between us
Evidemment
Obviously
Cà ne fait pas beaucoup
It's not much
Ce sont ces petits riens
It's these little nothings
Que j'ai mis bout à bout
That I've put together
Ces petits riens
These little nothings
Qui me venaient de vous
That came to me from You
Mieux vaut pleurer de rien
It's better to cry over nothing
Que de rire de tout
Than to laugh at everything
Pleurer pour un rien
Crying over nothing
C'est déjà beaucoup
Is already a lot
Mais vous vous n'avez rien
But you have nothing
Dans le cœur et j'avoue
In your heart and I confess
Je vous envie
I envy you
Je vous en veux beaucoup
I resent you a lot
Ce sont ces petits riens
It's these little nothings
Qui me venaient de vous
That came to me from You
Les voulez-vous?
Do you want them?
Tenez! Que voulez-vous?
Here! What do you want?
Moi je ne veux pour rien
I don't want anything in the world
Au monde plus rien de vous
Nothing more from you
Pour être à vous
To be yours
Faut être à moitié fou
You have to be half-mad
Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © RAOUL BRETON EDITIONS
Serge Gainsbourg
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riens — nothings / trifles
Riens literally means "nothings" or "trifles." While "rien" (nothing) is common, the plural "riens" is less frequently used in everyday conversation and carries a more poetic weight.
In this song, Serge Gainsbourg repeatedly uses "ces petits riens" (these little nothings/trifles) to refer to the small, seemingly insignificant details or memories that accumulate and hold deep emotional value. It highlights how even the smallest things can have a profound impact, making it a central and intriguing theme of the lyrics.
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