Yesterday morning my day was made by this dropping into my comment box under a translation I had done in 2005 of Jacques Brel’s Chanson des Vieux Amants:

“I cannot thank you enough for your interpretation of this song. My mother was obsessed with Judy Collins in the sixties and last week we were listening to her albums (courtesy of her new I-Pod). This song came on and I was immediately enamoured. Until I found your site I did not see a translation that I felt satisfied with. I hope you read this…maybe it will inspire you to translate the rest.”

I reckon if this person enjoyed this translation (my very first by the way) it could do with a second airing.

La Chanson des vieux amants

Bien sûr, nous eûmes des orages
Vingt ans d’amour, c’est l’amour fol

Mille fois tu pris ton bagage
Mille fois je pris mon envol

Et chaque meuble se souvient
Dans cette chambre sans berceau
Des éclats des vieilles tempêtes

Plus rien ne ressemblait à rien
Tu avais perdu le goût de l’eau
Et moi celui de la conquête

Mais mon amour
Mon doux mon tendre mon merveilleux amour
De l’aube claire jusqu’à la fin du jour
Je t’aime encore tu sais je t’aime

The Song Of Old Lovers

Of course we’ve lived through stormy weather
With foolish love for twenty years

We’ve packed to go yet stayed together
And battled on through all the tears

Yet all the trappings of our past
That lie within our childless room
Bear scars of wars long finished

The winner now is often last
And simple things don’t lift our gloom
But if we loose we’re not diminished

And Oh My Love
My soft and tender sweet amazing love
From break of day until stars shine above
I love you still, you know I love you