Jacques Bertin - The Dashboard Light

Original Title: "La Lampe du Tableau de Bord"
Year: 1970

The dashboard light it's my north star I'm going far away
Next to me, you are sleeping or I'm alone or you are speaking to me but so far
I do not know anything anymore but the Gauloises with the matches and the silence
I do not know where I'm taking you, where we'll arrive
I do not know, I have with me all my night, my fear
All the girls I loved, all the lost friends, the road is long
My love, My love. It's always very late and it's always the night falling.

I speed in the dark with time to time the call of lights, the friends.
My love, the night glides, there is noone on the road anymore but the rain.
I've forgotten the map, I never remember the rules of the game but it doesn't matter.
I do not know where I'm taking you, where we'll arrive
I do not know, I have with me all my night, my fear
The cry of the widows motionless at the corner of their house, the road is long
My love, My love. It's always very late and it's always the night falling.

A mad woman ran toward me the arms very white, a dog's face
And I've seen big children's despairs that came drinking in my hands
The hunted women in the alcoves keep quiet and worry
I do not know where I'm taking you, where we'll arrive
I do not know, I have with me all my night, my fear
In the lights, I've nailed the call of an unknown christ, the road is long
My love, My love. It's always very late and it's always the night falling.

A morning, we'll arrive, wake up, in a frozen pub, a deserted village
There are sobs, dreams abandonned on the meadows, people's life.
Children going to school and the tied up scarf of friendships that flies away.
I do not know if it's the day or the sky or life
I do not know, it's bright and I am going to sleep
I have nothing left but my love all tired all sad
And something but so little a red hare that ran in the lights.

Serge Reggiani - Almost nothing would be enough

Original Title: "Il suffirait de presque rien"
Year: 1968

Almost nothing would be enough
Maybe ten years less
For me to tell you "I love you"

For me to take you by the hand
To take you to St Germain
To offer you another cream coffee

But why pretend
Girl, come on, look at me
And see the wrinkles parting us

What's the point of puting on an act
Of the old lover who feels younger
You would pretend to believe it yourself

Really what would we look like?
I already hear the comments:

She is pretty
How can he still please her
She in spring, he in winter

Almost nothing would be enough
still noone you know well
goes back through his youth

Don't be stupid and understand
If I was twenty like you
I'd cover you in promises

There is your smile
turning to water and capsizing
I don't want you to be sad

Imagine your life tomorrow
Next to a clown busy
making his last ring turn

Really what would you look like
I already hear the comments

She is pretty
How can he still please her
She in spring, he in winter

It's someone else than me tomorrow
Who will take you to St Germain
To take the first cream coffee

Almost nothing was enough
Maybe ten years less
For me to tell you "I love you"

On television in 1995:

Jacques Bertin - Where are you going?

Original Title: "Où tu t'en vas?"
Year: 1980

The empty place in the bed
Which one of us has lost the other?
Why are you leaving?
Our love is at the end of the Maulne
And giving back lost meadows
Why are you leaving?

Why are you leaving?
Why so far?
Where are you going?
Why alone?
Where are you going?

The empty place in my eyes
Which one of us is tearing the other one?
Where are you going?
I loved without ever understanding anything
People pass me without seeing me
Where are you going?

Why are you leaving?
Why so far?
Where are you going?
Why alone?
Where are you going?

The empty place in my life
Which one of us was guilty?
We do not know
I was not your ennemy
We didn't see evil come
We do not know

Why are you leaving?
Why so far?
Where are you going?
Why alone?
Where are you going?

Why are you leaving?
Why so far?
Where are you going?
When are you coming back?
For ever, it does not exist

André Dassary - Misraki - In my Heart

Original Title: "Dans Mon Cœur"
Text: André Hornez
Music: Paul Misraki
Year: 1939

In my heart, a tender hope blossoms
A sparrow sang on top of my roof
In my heart, a dream nested
All the flowers seem to open out for me

But the roses have to wither
The sparrow is going to turn back
And the dreams will abandon
all the hearts that are too heavy
But no matter! Everything sings today
Let our laughs rise in the night!
Let's quickly pick up the running hour
Happinesses are short

In your heart, I've placed all my love
All the bells have chimed
In your heart keep it forever
like an ardent and passionate flame

But everything passes and everything must end
Everything wears off even a memory
And the flame is going to die soon
In our hearts that are too heavy
But no matter! Everything sings today
Let our laughs rise in the night!
Let's quickly pick up the running hour
Happinesses are short

Love is in my heart!

Music from the move "Retour à l'aube" (Return at dawn) by Georges Tzipine et Georges Ghestem:

Jacques Bertin - Hélène

Year: 1968

The heavy secret of living together
Helene widow remember it
and your big love opened
with fear of impossible
The delicate and bitter love
Like water and wine together
Helene widow in your house
And who will never laugh again

And your long patient song
Your hands on his soul of holly
Your skin burnt on your lips
Your soul at the crossroad of you
The strength that hurted you
He talked about hurt of loving

You were hurting him atrociously
As if he had betrayed for you
Himself sticked his dreams
subdued far from everything

Life is the queen adventure
The so sweet oozing of doubt
Then he shifted on things
his too big madness of loving

You were only one then
Helene with the scent of the lilies
Helene sitting in your house
And who will never love again

Helene who knows everything about the man
And that he cheated on you for lilies

Jacques Bertin - Portrait of Aude

Original Title: "Portrait d'Aude"
Year: 1974

She was coming back home early to settle herself in her dream
She did not see many people: she had so much to dream about
She was not going out often, with one or two childhood friends
After five years she did not know how to find her bearings in Paris

Time passed, she was now going slowly on her thirties
She had exhausted the wonderful field of dream
She was dreaming less. She was not seeing many people.
She was not going out often: she was making long days

She was falling asleep and drew a smile.
I've slowly left her body in my sticking warmth
It was near Place d'Italie: ruins, wind, building sites
From far you could see her lightened up window in the night.

Mouloudji - Renoir - Hillock's lament

Original Title: "Complainte de la Butte"
Text: Jean Renoir
Music: Georges Van Parys
Song from the movie "French Cancan"
Year: 1954

Up St Vincent street, a poet and a stranger girl
Loved each others for a moment
But he never saw her again
This song he composed hoping that his stranger girl,
One morning of spring, will hear it
Somewhere at the corner of a street.

The moon, too livid, places a diadem on your red hair
The moon, too red, spills glory on your petticoat full of holes
The moon, too pale, carresses the opal of your unimpressed eyes
Princess of the street
Be welcome in my wounded heart

The stairs up to the hillock are hard on the poors
The wings of the mills protect the lovers

Little beggar, I feel your little hand
Which is looking for my hand
I feel your chest and your slender waist,
I forget my sorrow
I smell on your lips a scent of fever of malnourished child
And under your caress, I feel an ecstasy that annihilates me.

The stairs up to the hillock are hard on the poors
The wings of the mills protect the lovers

And here comes the rain, the moon dashes off
The princess as well
Under the moonless sky, I cry in the dark
My vanished dream

Cora Vaucaire's version: