Edith Piaf - Prévert - When you sleep

Original Title: "Quand tu dors"
Text: Jacques Prévert
Music: Christiane Verger
Year: 1961

You, you sleep at night
Me, I have insomnia
I see you sleep, it makes me suffer

Your eyes closed
Your tall body lying down
It's funny but it makes me cry
And suddenly, here you are laughing
Laughing out loud while sleeping
Where are you right now?
Where are you gone really?
Maybe with another woman
Far away in another country
And with her you are laughing of me
You, you sleep at night
Me, I have insomnia
I see you sleep, it makes me suffer

When you are sleeping, I don't know if you love me
You're so close but still so far
I'm completely naked, huddled against you
But it's as if I wasn't there
Yet I hear a beating heart
I don't know if it's beating for me
I know nothing, I don't know anymore
I'd like for it to stop beating, your heart
If one day you stop loving me

You, you sleep at night
Me, I have insomnia
I see you dream
It makes me cry

Here comes the day
And suddenly you awaken
And you smile at me
You smile with the sun
And I don't think to the night anymore
You say the words always the same
Did you have a good night
And I answer like the day before
Yes honey, I slept well
And I dreamt of you like every night.

Cora Vaucaire's version:

Barbara's version:

Yves Montand - Jacques Prévert - Children who love one another

Text: Jacques Prévert
Music: Joseph Kosma
Year: 1946
It was original written for the movie 'Les Portes de la Nuit'/"Gates of the night" with Yves Montand as main actor.

The children who love one another
Kiss, standing up, against the doors of the night
And the passers-by are pointing their fingers at them
But the children who love one another
Are not present for anyone

And it's only their shadow
Which trembles in the night
Exciting the rage of the passers-by
Their rage, their contempt, their laugh and their envy
The children who love one another
Are not there for anyone

They are elsewhere way further than the night
Way higher than the day
In the blinding light of their first love

Mouloudji's version:

Extract from the movie "Gates of the Night"
:

Marianne Oswald - Jacques Prévert - Children hunting

Original Title: "La chasse à l'enfant"
Text: Jacques Prévert (1934)
Music: Joseph Kosma
Year: 1936

Bandit! Rascal! Thief! Scoundrel!

Above the island, birds can be seen
All around the island there is water

Bandit! Rascal! Thief! Scoundrel!
What are those howls
Bandit! Rascal! Thief! Scoundrel!
It's the pack of honest people
That is hunting children down

He said "I am done with the reformatory"
And the wardens had broken his teeth using their keys
And then had let him lying down on the cement

Bandit! Rascal! Thief! Scoundrel!
Now he ran away
And like a hunted beast
He gallops in the night
And all gallop after him
The gendarmes, the tourists, the person of private means, the artists

Bandit! Rascal! Thief! Scoundrel!

It's the pack of honest people
That is hunting children down

To hunt children down, no need of a permit
All the decent people got down to it
What is swimming in the night?
What are those flashes those noises?
It's a child who is running away
He is being shot at with a rifle

Bandit! Rascal! Thief! Scoundrel!

All those men on the shore
Are empty-handed and purple* with rage

Bandit! Rascal! Thief! Scoundrel!

Will you get back to the continent?

Above the island, birds can be seen
All around the island there is water

* green with rage in french

Live but not complete:

Prévert et Marianne Oswald:Chasse à l'enfant sur wat.tv

Yves Montand - Prévert - The dead leaves

This is a very famous song that has already been translated several times (for example here). Even Yves Montand recited the first part in English here but you will find here a literal one (without the extra paragraph of the original poem):
It was originally written for the movie 'Les Portes de la Nuit' with Yves Montand as main actor.

Original Title: "Les feuilles mortes"
Text: "Jacques Prévert"
Music: "Joseph Kosma"
Year: 1946

Oh I would like so much for you to remember
the happy days of when we were friends
Back then, life was more beautiful
And the sun burning more than today
Dead leaves are shovelled up
You see, I did not forget
Dead leaves are shovelled up
Memories and regrets as well

And the north wind carries them away
In the dark night of oblivion
You see, I did not forget
The song you sang to me

It's a song that resembles us
You, you loved me and I loved you
And we were living both together
You who loved me, I who loved you
But life parts those who love each other
Slowly without making any noise
And the sea erases on the sand
The steps of the disunited lovers

But life parts those who love each other
Slowly without making any noise
And the sea erases on the sand
The steps of the disunited lovers

Another version:

Mouloudji's version:

Mouloudji's version is longer:
Dead leaves are shovelled up
Memories and regrets as well
But my love quiet and faithful
Still smiles and is thankful for life
I loved you so much, you were so pretty
How do you want me to forget you?
Back then, life was more beautiful
And sun more burning than today
You were my sweetest friend
But I don't care for regrets
And the song you were singing
Always, I'll always hear it

Serge Reggiani - Prévert - Barbara

Text: Jacques Prévert
Slightly modified translation from: http://parolesinenglish.wordpress.com/

Year: 1949 (First reading by Montand), 1953 (first sung by Y. Montand), 1966 (Reggiani's version)

Remember Barbara
It was raining ceaselessly on Brest that day
And you were walking smiling
Beaming, delighted, dripping
Under the rain
Remember Barbara
It was raining ceaselessly on Brest
And I passed you in the rue de Siam
You were smiling
And me I was smiling the same smile
Remember Barbara
You who I didn’t know
You who didn’t know me
Remember
Remember that day anyway
Don’t forget
A man under an overhang was taking shelter
And he yelled your name
Barbara
And you ran to him under the rain
Dripping delighted beaming
And you threw yourself in his arms
Remember that Barbara
And don’t be mad if I speak to you familiarly
I speak familiarly to everyone I love
Even if I’ve only seen them once
I speak familiarly to everyone in love
Even if I don’t know them
Remember Barbara
Don’t forget
This good and happy rain
On your happy face
On this happy city
This rain on the sea
On the naval arsenal
On the boat from Ouessant
Oh Barbara
What a bullshit, war
What’s become of you now
Under this rain of iron
Of fire of steel of blood
And the one who took you in his arms
Lovingly
Is he dead, disappeared or yet still living
Oh Barbara
It’s raining ceaselessly on Brest
Like it rained before
But it’s no longer the same and everything’s damaged
It’s a rain of mourning terrible and desolate
It's not even a storm
Of iron of steel of blood anymore
Simply some clouds
That die like dogs
Dogs who disappear
Along the water over Brest
And go to rot far away
Far away very far away from Brest
Of which nothing remains.

Mouloudji's version (1966):

Yves Montand's version (1953):

Les Frères Jacques's version (1951):

Jacques Douai - Prévert - Demons and marvels

Second song of the video, starts at 2:35 (first is "Colchiques dans les prés") :


Original Title: "Démons et merveilles"
Text: Jacques Prévert
Music: Joseph Kosma
Year: 1942, 1958 (Douai's version)

Demons and marvels, winds and tides
far away already the sea withdrawn
and you like a seaweed
softly caressed by the wind
In the sands of the bed
you stir while dreaming

Demons and marvels, winds and tides
Far away already the sea withdrawn
but in your half opened eyes
two small waves remained

Demons and marvels, winds and tides
two small waves to drown myself

Extract from The Devil's Envoys (Visiteurs du Soir), sung by Jacques Jansen over the voice of actor Alain Cuny:

Cora Vaucaire's version:

Michèle Arnaud's version: