English translations of Celine's French songs

[noar]

Thank you for those translations I really love them, can you please also translate A Cause for me.

Glad you like them..

 

As for "A Cause": the lyrics are identical to those of "On s'est aimé à cause" of which you can find the translation on the first page

 

Ok thank you, but I always thought that they where 2 diffrent songs because when I compare the french lyrics of those 2 songs they don't look identical they have some diffrent kind of lines in it and some lines are the same, that's why I tought that they where diffrent.

I hope that you understand what I mean and sorry for my bad english.

[CelineRules!]

Thank you for those translations I really love them, can you please also translate A Cause for me.

Glad you like them..

 

As for "A Cause": the lyrics are identical to those of "On s'est aimé à cause" of which you can find the translation on the first page

 

Ok thank you, but I always thought that they where 2 diffrent songs because when I compare the french lyrics of those 2 songs they don't look identical they have some diffrent kind of lines in it and some lines are the same, that's why I tought that they where diffrent.

I hope that you understand what I mean and sorry for my bad english.

I understand what you mean.. there are a few differences in like one or two lines but the general lyrics are the same..

I'll go check what the differences are and let you know

Edited February 16, 2009 at 09:09 PM by CelineRules!

[noar]

Thank you for those translations I really love them, can you please also translate A Cause for me.

Glad you like them..

 

As for "A Cause": the lyrics are identical to those of "On s'est aimé à cause" of which you can find the translation on the first page

 

Ok thank you, but I always thought that they where 2 diffrent songs because when I compare the french lyrics of those 2 songs they don't look identical they have some diffrent kind of lines in it and some lines are the same, that's why I tought that they where diffrent.

I hope that you understand what I mean and sorry for my bad english.

I understand what you mean.. there are a few differences in like one or two lines but the general lyrics are the same..

I'll go check what the differences are and let you know

 

Thank you that is very nice of you, take your time

[minolli]

I love this thread! Thanks so much for taking the time to translate so many songs.

Has anyone the translation for "Papillion" from S'il Suffisait D'aimer

 

Thanks so much again

 

Here is "Papillion." Any native speakers can feel free to correct this translation as necessary.

 

The leaves fall

To shorter days

Which retain

My body and my voice

I wanted to tell you

That I love you

 

Cocoon which awakens

To the only perfumes

That I await

At the back of my dreams

Often

When my eyes light up

For a long time

On your white promises

Without seeing there the trap

That dances

 

Ephemeral butterfly

With wings of glass

Prisoner of the thread

Of your secrets

 

Butterfly that hopes

Just a bit of light

To dry your colors

In the fire of your desires

 

So strong is my pride in you

So gentle

My prince

I lost the words

I would like to tell you

How much I love you

[tearsinheaven87]

I love this thread! Thanks so much for taking the time to translate so many songs.

Has anyone the translation for "Papillion" from S'il Suffisait D'aimer

 

Thanks so much again

 

Here is "Papillion." Any native speakers can feel free to correct this translation as necessary.

 

The leaves fall

To shorter days

Which retain

My body and my voice

I wanted to tell you

That I love you

 

Cocoon which awakens

To the only perfumes

That I await

At the back of my dreams

Often

When my eyes light up

For a long time

On your white promises

Without seeing there the trap

That dances

 

Ephemeral butterfly

With wings of glass

Prisoner of the thread

Of your secrets

 

Butterfly that hopes

Just a bit of light

To dry your colors

In the fire of your desires

 

So strong is my pride in you

So gentle

My prince

I lost the words

I would like to tell you

How much I love you

 

Thank you soooooooooo much

Such beautiful lyrics

[ce-line]

Oh, I never knew how beautiful the lyrics to "Papillon" was!

[minolli]

Oh, I never knew how beautiful the lyrics to "Papillon" was!

 

It is quite a lovely song.

[minolli]

Here's another translation. I hope this is at least somewhat correct; I'm trying to practice my French.

 

Les derniers seront les premiers

 

When walking without another goal

Over the past, exhausted tomorrow

In the nothingness of the cold of the street

 

When words no longer exist

When hope is forgotten, dissolved

When even alcohol doesn’t make one drunk

There the scratched phrases remain

From these phrases that we toss away before abandoning

 

The last will be the first

In the other reality

We will be princes of eternity

 

A ticket on the sidewalk

In the newspaper, other stories

A random ray of sunlight

 

An abandoned flower

Which the others left aside

Not new enough, not enough

When your place is outside

Nothing remains except these phrases, like a treasure island

 

The last will be the first

In the other reality

We will be princes of eternity

[Jacqui]

Je Chanterai

 

And when we have done the tour of our ultimate projects

When we let ourselves learn to love our failures and regrets

When we open our books of memories

I will sing, I will sing, I will sing, I will sing always

 

When the dreams of our children will become our hopes

When their sorrows of love will become ours and our suffering

When our glances are enough, when our steps will be the same

I will sing, I will sing, I will sing, I will sing always

 

We say these things, we forget sometimes, when we dream, or when we're drunk

I will tell you a hundred million times, and that helps me to live so much

 

When our past, when all these days will be our true wealth

When I know all your gifts, when I know all your weaknesses

When love will have other tastes than the passion, the desire

I will sing, I will sing, I will sing, I will sing always

 

And I will love you, I will love you, I will love you like the first day

I will sing, I will love you, I will sing, I will sing always

 

 

Le Blues Sont Ecrits Pour Toi

(Note, the bits in quotation marks are the parts she sings in English)

 

"I woke up this morning baby, the blues was pouring out of me"

A hundred times I have said these words

These words that others have written

With all my voice, all my soul

"With all the soul that I can"

The blues as I have learned

"I woke up this morning baby"

But that morning, I understood

 

The sorrow of the long fields of cotton

I imagined in my cocoon

The blows, the blood, the muddy times

I have suffered in closing my eyes

"His baby's far away"

I have pardons, I have prayers,

But the blues are not sentences in the air

 

"I woke up this morning baby"

But this morning you were really cold

You understand deep in your chest

All the blues are written for you

 

"Oh I feel the blues in me, nobody knows how I really feel, nobody knows, nobody cares"

The words burn you one by one, like them

Like them, finally they belong to you

These blues were the hold

With all my voice, all my soul

"With all the soul that I can"

The blues that one has never learned

"I woke up this morning baby, the blues was pouring out of me, nobody knows, nobody cares.."

 

Ok there are parts of those I'm not sure about, particularly the use of the word "jamais", whether it means "never" or "forever", in this context- so feel free to correct me! But hopefully this at least gives some idea of what the songs are about, for people who speak no French at all!

[ce-line]

Thank you so much for all the amazing translations!

No one has a translation to "Si Dieu Existe"?

[Jacqui]

I don't actually have Si Dieu Existe on a CD or anything, sorry! Maybe someone else has?

[Guest Reuben]

Hi, well this is a difficult song to translate. Because of the list-like nature of the verses, it actually sounds quite clumsy and as I am not a songwriter I found it quite difficult to render the English translation as musical as the original French version. Usually when I translate the songs though I do not try to rewrite an English song, but just try to capture the ideas behind the Fremch lyrics. As such the translation rarely sounds as beautiful as the French but I would hate to change the words too much for the sake of making it more musical.

 

A huge problem with this song is the French use of the word immensité. This is almost an abstract noun which are used quite freely in French and can express a certain image or idea. But they cannot be used quite so easily in English. As you can see, I start of by translaitg it as 'the immensity of it all' but finish by simply saying 'Immensity'. I think the image of stars against skin leads into the image of 'l'immensité' and gives a good idea of what the writer wants to say: perhaps that the kiss and the passion are like an endless, starry night sky. The beauty and the vastness and the mystery of it... Still, not so easy to render in English unless you want to write a whole sentence to express what the French expresses with one word!

 

Other problems arise: 'reine de Sabbah' for example. I put Egyptian queen but just because the image works in English. I think Sabbah might be a town in Lebanon so maybe we could change this to Lebanese queen...? 'Sursaut' is difficult because it means jolt or surprise or maybe even startle. I use throes here to fit with desire (as in the throes of passion, or pangs of emotion. The idea of jolt or surprise coming from the fact that throes are often awkward and sudden...)

 

Well, here is my translation... There were other problems and maybe I was quite lazy with the images... I probably should spend more time on it but once I reach this stage I usually get impatient and am eager to share it with others. If there is anybody who disagrees with the translation or who has more appropriate suggestions, please feel free to comment and make your amendments... I hope you like it...

 

Immensity

 

I have seen the Ural Mountains and the Sahara desert

The dark nights of an Egyptian Queen

I have seen the Earth, and its storms

The oceans and their shipwrecks

I have witnessed crowds and the silence

The fire of joy and of suffering

I have seen roses beneath snow

And great white wolves caught in traps

I have watched the summer rain fall

And lovers linger on the platform

 

But, you know, what amazes me the most

Is the passion of our kiss

The desire and the throes

Like stars against your skin

The immensity of it all

 

I have seen angels and demons

Lowered eyes and sermons

I have seen the darkness and the light

Of a solitary female warrior

I have seen the seas and the rocks

Revelations and secrets

I have seen the vast Americas

And all the mirages in Africa

I have seen blue skies and glaciers

Come together and then tear apart

 

But you know, what amazes me the most

Is the passion of our kiss

The desire and the throes

Like stars against your skin

The immensity of it all

 

I have seen childhood and drunkenness

Life which smiles at us, sadness

The poverty of a foolish world

I have watched men fall

And rise again before my very eyes

 

I have seen the cold and the trance

The laughter of our dancing son

I recognise his golden eyes

Oh, how he looks like you

I have seen lilies and orchids

Hidden in our secret garden

 

But, you know, what blows me away

Is the passion of your kiss

The desire and the throes

Like stars against my skin

Immensity

Like the gentle touch of your kiss

The desire and the throes

Immensity

 

This is a good translation, well done:)

Sabbah is a town in Southern Lebanon, Sabah (spellt with one B ) is a region in Malaysia. I would translate it as "a Middle Eastern Queen" or "Arabic Queen". The first time I heard the song, and those words in particular, I thought of the Queen of Sheba, a Queen mentioned in the Old Testament/Song of Solomon, as well as in the Qur'an and various Ethiopian literature. Sheba (forgive me if Im wrong) in Arabic would be pronounced Saba. Highly possible that it is a reference to the Queen of Sheba.

Edited February 27, 2009 at 12:53 AM by Reuben

[Guest Reuben]

Hi, well this is a difficult song to translate. Because of the list-like nature of the verses, it actually sounds quite clumsy and as I am not a songwriter I found it quite difficult to render the English translation as musical as the original French version. Usually when I translate the songs though I do not try to rewrite an English song, but just try to capture the ideas behind the Fremch lyrics. As such the translation rarely sounds as beautiful as the French but I would hate to change the words too much for the sake of making it more musical.

 

A huge problem with this song is the French use of the word immensité. This is almost an abstract noun which are used quite freely in French and can express a certain image or idea. But they cannot be used quite so easily in English. As you can see, I start of by translaitg it as 'the immensity of it all' but finish by simply saying 'Immensity'. I think the image of stars against skin leads into the image of 'l'immensité' and gives a good idea of what the writer wants to say: perhaps that the kiss and the passion are like an endless, starry night sky. The beauty and the vastness and the mystery of it... Still, not so easy to render in English unless you want to write a whole sentence to express what the French expresses with one word!

 

Other problems arise: 'reine de Sabbah' for example. I put Egyptian queen but just because the image works in English. I think Sabbah might be a town in Lebanon so maybe we could change this to Lebanese queen...? 'Sursaut' is difficult because it means jolt or surprise or maybe even startle. I use throes here to fit with desire (as in the throes of passion, or pangs of emotion. The idea of jolt or surprise coming from the fact that throes are often awkward and sudden...)

 

Well, here is my translation... There were other problems and maybe I was quite lazy with the images... I probably should spend more time on it but once I reach this stage I usually get impatient and am eager to share it with others. If there is anybody who disagrees with the translation or who has more appropriate suggestions, please feel free to comment and make your amendments... I hope you like it...

 

Immensity

 

I have seen the Ural Mountains and the Sahara desert

The dark nights of an Egyptian Queen

I have seen the Earth, and its storms

The oceans and their shipwrecks

I have witnessed crowds and the silence

The fire of joy and of suffering

I have seen roses beneath snow

And great white wolves caught in traps

I have watched the summer rain fall

And lovers linger on the platform

 

But, you know, what amazes me the most

Is the passion of our kiss

The desire and the throes

Like stars against your skin

The immensity of it all

 

I have seen angels and demons

Lowered eyes and sermons

I have seen the darkness and the light

Of a solitary female warrior

I have seen the seas and the rocks

Revelations and secrets

I have seen the vast Americas

And all the mirages in Africa

I have seen blue skies and glaciers

Come together and then tear apart

 

But you know, what amazes me the most

Is the passion of our kiss

The desire and the throes

Like stars against your skin

The immensity of it all

 

I have seen childhood and drunkenness

Life which smiles at us, sadness

The poverty of a foolish world

I have watched men fall

And rise again before my very eyes

 

I have seen the cold and the trance

The laughter of our dancing son

I recognise his golden eyes

Oh, how he looks like you

I have seen lilies and orchids

Hidden in our secret garden

 

But, you know, what blows me away

Is the passion of your kiss

The desire and the throes

Like stars against my skin

Immensity

Like the gentle touch of your kiss

The desire and the throes

Immensity

 

This is a good translation, well done:)

Sabbah is a town in Southern Lebanon, Sabah (spellt with one B ) is a region in Malaysia. I would translate it as "a Middle Eastern Queen" or "Arabic Queen". The first time I heard the song, and those words in particular, I thought of the Queen of Sheba, a Queen mentioned in the Old Testament/Song of Solomon, as well as in the Qur'an and various Ethiopian literature. Sheba (forgive me if Im wrong) in Arabic would be pronounced Saba. Highly possible that it is a reference to the Queen of Sheba.

 

I just looked up Queen of Sheba on the Wikipedia page in French. It'is Reine de Saba. The translation should be "nights of the Queen of Sheba"

[cmcdaori]

Hey guys..there is another web site where u can surely find all the translations except celinedionweb.com.

Here is the link:

 

http://english.celine-dion.net/index.php

Edited February 27, 2009 at 01:49 PM by cmcdaori

[tonybower]

I just looked up Queen of Sheba on the Wikipedia page in French. It'is Reine de Saba. The translation should be "nights of the Queen of Sheba"

 

Thanks so much for that. Reine de Saba really did have me stumped. Makes much more sense now! Thank you...

 

I'm working on Si dieu existe now and will post soon. It's one of my favourites... I just love her voice on it...

[Filine]

If anyone is looking for translations from English and French songs to Dutch you can find dozens of them on the forum of www.celinedion.nl

[tonybower]

Si dieu existe - If God exists

 

Nobody

There is nobody left

My soul, terrified as it takes flight,

leaves me lifeless

 

No one,

I need somebody but I have no one

My being falls down

All my senses desert me

I do not know if I am afraid

 

I look down from above,

At my spirit’s body.

Our faces turned upwards

So small, so very small

 

If God exists

And if he loves you

The way you love the birds

Madly, like an angel

 

Finally, you can walk on the stars.

Uplifted

Madly, like an angel

 

No one,

I need somebody but I have no one

My being falls down

All my senses desert me

I do not know if I am afraid

 

You look down from above

At your spirit’s body

Our faces turned upwards

So small, so very small

 

If God exists

And if he loves you

The way you love the birds

Madly, like an angel

 

Finally, you can walk on the stars.

Uplifted

Madly, like an angel

 

I love this song. I think it is about death and the uncertainty of the transition between this world and the next. A soul rises and turns to look back at the lifeless body left behind. For aspiré I chose 'uplifted' because it has the sense of being drawn up, as the French suggests, but seems more positive. 'My spirit's body' is clumsy but it is the idea that the spirit has risen is looking back at the body, recreating a sense of detatchment or distance between the speaker and the human body. It's such a simple song but so powerful. One of my favourites...

[SensationalCeline]

Which album is this song on?

[tonybower]

It's not on an album as far as I know - unless it's on a Claude Dubois album.

I have never heard a recorded version of the song, only two live versions. It is a duet with Claude Dubois and she sang it first at the Ste Justine Concert in Aug 2007 and then again at the Quebec concert in Aug 2008. Both versions are downloadable here and should be viewable on youtube. I love the song... I knew about it for some time before I heard it and was rather sceptical... then I downloaded the Ste Justine concert and when I heard the song I was instantly blown away. Love it!

[angeluk2]

Hey guys..there is another web site where u can surely find all the translations except celinedionweb.com.

Here is the link:

 

http://english.celine-dion.net/index.php

Thank you for posting that link.

I am aware,as i expect quite a few others are,that there are a few sites with translations of the songs on.But my reason for starting this post was so it was all in one place(HERE mainly ) and not all her songs are on some of them.Also if anyone has requests or questions, they could be asked here and anyone who might know the answer can answer

Anyone else who wants to add a translation please feel free to do so(It doesnt have to be just her french songs you translate into English) Also BIG thank you to anyone who has added a translation

[tonybower]

I agree... This thread is great as it allows different people to offer their own suggestions and interpretations of songs which translation websites simply cannot do.

 

Translation is not just about word to word correspondence. Behind the words and sentences and images is a whole culture and way of perceiving and thinking about the world. Therefore, translations based on dictionary equivalents cannot be 100% reliable. Essential meaning is generally lost.

 

I have not visited all the websites out there and some that I have seen have been brilliant. But I think I a lot of them are based on poor dictionary translations or, worse still, online translators. This is a cardinal sin! A computer just isn't able to process language adequately enough. Some of these sites are quite lazy in their approach.

 

Here, people can translate and others can offer their valued judegment. Native and non-native speakers can play with ideas and try to find alternative ways of interpreting the song. Translating prose is diffcult enough but translating songs or poems, with their tight structre and use of imagary/concepts usually leads to unsatisfactory results. But here, people can offer their own take on things which can shed new light onto a song. Only here could I have learned that Reine de Sabba is actually the Queen of Sheba. I think it's great!

 

Keep posting your translations and requests!

[nuts2you]

I just happen to stumble onto this one, could anyone help me,what album has the following songs, its on the dvd of au coeur du stade,, right after TPOL set. all french songs, so I can put them on my IPOD. thks advance.

[celine4evauk]

I just happen to stumble onto this one, could anyone help me,what album has the following songs, its on the dvd of au coeur du stade,, right after TPOL set. all french songs, so I can put them on my IPOD. thks advance.

 

 

There are several releases - C'est Pour Vivre, Gold Collection, For You, Chante Plamandon etc. But to get those particular songs if you want to buy one album i recommend Celine's album On Ne Change Pas 2 cd set. It has all of the songs you want.

[sazzlepop123]

Si dieu existe - If God exists

 

Nobody

There is nobody left

My soul, terrified as it takes flight,

leaves me lifeless

 

No one,

I need somebody but I have no one

My being falls down

All my senses desert me

I do not know if I am afraid

 

I look down from above,

At my spirit’s body.

Our faces turned upwards

So small, so very small

 

If God exists

And if he loves you

The way you love the birds

Madly, like an angel

 

Finally, you can walk on the stars.

Uplifted

Madly, like an angel

 

No one,

I need somebody but I have no one

My being falls down

All my senses desert me

I do not know if I am afraid

 

You look down from above

At your spirit’s body

Our faces turned upwards

So small, so very small

 

If God exists

And if he loves you

The way you love the birds

Madly, like an angel

 

Finally, you can walk on the stars.

Uplifted

Madly, like an angel

 

I love this song. I think it is about death and the uncertainty of the transition between this world and the next. A soul rises and turns to look back at the lifeless body left behind. For aspiré I chose 'uplifted' because it has the sense of being drawn up, as the French suggests, but seems more positive. 'My spirit's body' is clumsy but it is the idea that the spirit has risen is looking back at the body, recreating a sense of detatchment or distance between the speaker and the human body. It's such a simple song but so powerful. One of my favourites...

 

Thank you for this And your beautiful description at the end.

[SensationalCeline]

It's not on an album as far as I know - unless it's on a Claude Dubois album.

I have never heard a recorded version of the song, only two live versions. It is a duet with Claude Dubois and she sang it first at the Ste Justine Concert in Aug 2007 and then again at the Quebec concert in Aug 2008. Both versions are downloadable here and should be viewable on youtube. I love the song... I knew about it for some time before I heard it and was rather sceptical... then I downloaded the Ste Justine concert and when I heard the song I was instantly blown away. Love it!

 

 

I forgot about this, but I found the song. It's amazing!

[Lou555]

It's not on an album as far as I know - unless it's on a Claude Dubois album.

I have never heard a recorded version of the song, only two live versions. It is a duet with Claude Dubois and she sang it first at the Ste Justine Concert in Aug 2007 and then again at the Quebec concert in Aug 2008. Both versions are downloadable here and should be viewable on youtube. I love the song... I knew about it for some time before I heard it and was rather sceptical... then I downloaded the Ste Justine concert and when I heard the song I was instantly blown away. Love it!

 

You're right. In fact the only recording of this song is on Dubois's latest cd called "Duo Dubois". Those are previous hit songs he had written in the past that he has recorded again doing duets with 13 chosen artists of the french-speaking world. Here's the track lists in no special order :

 

Artist : Song title

 

Isabelle Boulay: J'ai souvenir encore

Patrick Bruel: L'Infidèle

Francis Cabrel: Pas question d'aventure

Corneille: Femme de rêve

Céline Dion: Si Dieu existe

Garou: Femme de société

Lynda Lemay: Comme un million de gens

Marilou: Besoin pour vivre

André-Philippe Gagnon: Artistes

Éric Lapointe / Garou: Chasse-Galerie

Gilles Vigneault / Richard Desjardins: Le Labrador

 

 

http://www.archambault.ca/duos-dubois-ACH001976809-fr-pr

Track twelve on the cd - duet with Céline

Edited June 25, 2009 at 04:29 AM by Lou555

[kimmy_0412]

thank you for all the translations, my favourite is pour que tu m'aimes encore

[SensationalCeline]

Does someone know the translation to Mon Reve de Toujours? Thanks so much....

[tonybower]

I am so glad somebody has asked for another translation. I have some free time at the moment and am very happy to oblige!

 

 

Mon reve de toujours

 

Across a cloud-covered beach

I was running, I was running

And all around me I could hear the cry

Of the wind, the sea and the storms

 

Against the waves, against my tears

I was running, I was running

And I knew that I would meet something magical

And there you were

 

It’s my never-ending dream

At the end of the most awful days

You are there, you are there

And I see the world light up

It’s the dream I have,

Today more than ever

You are there, you are there

And my life will change with you

 

In a strange and empty town

I am alone, I am alone

Shadows scare me

I will lose myself to drown myself

But you come and you save me

 

It’s my never-ending dream

At the end of the most awful days

You are there, you are there

And I see the world light up

It’s the dream I have,

Today more than ever

You are there, you are there

And my life will change with you

[SensationalCeline]

I am so glad somebody has asked for another translation. I have some free time at the moment and am very happy to oblige!

 

 

Mon reve de toujours

 

Across a cloud-covered beach

I was running, I was running

And all around me I could hear the cry

Of the wind, the sea and the storms

 

Against the waves, against my tears

I was running, I was running

And I knew that I would meet something magical

And there you were

 

It’s my never-ending dream

At the end of the most awful days

You are there, you are there

And I see the world light up

It’s the dream I have,

Today more than ever

You are there, you are there

And my life will change with you

 

In a strange and empty town

I am alone, I am alone

Shadows scare me

I will lose myself to drown myself

But you come and you save me

 

It’s my never-ending dream

At the end of the most awful days

You are there, you are there

And I see the world light up

It’s the dream I have,

Today more than ever

You are there, you are there

And my life will change with you

 

 

Thank You! What does the title translate into if I may ask? This is such a beautiful song. Thank you for translating it for me.

 

Do you also have time to do the translation for Tire L'aiguille? and Quatre Pas D'ici? Thank you also.