Renaud- Mistral Gagnant

Thread: Renaud- Mistral Gagnant

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  1. Roberto_d said:

    Default Renaud- Mistral Gagnant

    This song has beautiful sound. Could someone help me to understand its meaning?


    A m'asseoir sur un banc cinq minutes avec toi
    Et regarder les gens tant qu'y en a
    Te parler du bon temps qu'est mort ou qui r'viendra
    En serrant dans ma main tes p'tits doigts
    Pis donner à bouffer à des pigeons idiots
    Leur filer des coups d' pieds pour de faux
    Et entendre ton rire qui lézarde les murs
    Qui sait surtout guérir mes blessures
    Te raconter un peu comment j'étais mino
    Les bonbecs fabuleux qu'on piquait chez l' marchand
    Car-en-sac et Minto, caramel à un franc
    Et les mistrals gagnants

    A r'marcher sous la pluie cinq minutes avec toi
    Et regarder la vie tant qu'y en a
    Te raconter la Terre en te bouffant des yeux
    Te parler de ta mère un p'tit peu
    Et sauter dans les flaques pour la faire râler
    Bousiller nos godasses et s' marrer
    Et entendre ton rire comme on entend la mer
    S'arrêter, r'partir en arrière
    Te raconter surtout les carambars d'antan et les cocos bohères
    Et les vrais roudoudous qui nous coupaient les lèvres
    Et nous niquaient les dents
    Et les mistrals gagnants

    A m'asseoir sur un banc cinq minutes avec toi
    Et regarder le soleil qui s'en va
    Te parler du bon temps qu'est mort et je m'en fou
    Te dire que les méchants c'est pas nous
    Que si moi je suis barge, ce n'est que de tes yeux
    Car ils ont l'avantage d'être deux
    Et entendre ton rire s'envoler aussi haut
    Que s'envolent les cris des oiseaux
    Te raconter enfin qu'il faut aimer la vie
    Et l'aimer même si le temps est assassin
    Et emporte avec lui les rires des enfants
    Et les mistrals gagnants
    Et les mistrals gagnants
     
  2. cortom's Avatar

    cortom said:

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    Let's give it a try...

    Renaud - Swelling mistral

    A m'asseoir sur un banc cinq minutes avec toi
    ...To sit on a bench with you, for 5 minutes,
    Et regarder les gens tant qu'y en a
    ...And look at the people (passing), if any, (lit.: as many as there are)
    Te parler du bon temps qu'est mort ou qui r'viendra
    ...To talk to you about the good times that are gone, or (that) will come back,
    En serrant dans ma main tes p'tits doigts
    ...Squeezing your small fingers in my hand
    Puis donner à bouffer à des pigeons idiots
    ...Then feed the stupid pigeons
    Leur filer des coups d' pieds pour de faux
    ...Pretend at kicking them
    Et entendre ton rire qui lézarde les murs
    ...and hear your laughter crawling the walls
    ...(could mean: tearing apart the walls, but I think 'crawling' is what is meant)
    Qui sait surtout guérir mes blessures
    ...[Your laughter] that, most of all, knows how to cure my injuries
    Te raconter un peu comment j'étais mino
    ...To tell you a bit about how I was (mino?? anyone who can help here?)
    Les bonbecs fabuleux qu'on piquait chez l' marchand
    ...Those fabulous sweets that we stole at the shop (marchand=shopkeeper)
    Car-en-sac et Minto, caramel à un franc
    ...Car-en-sac, Mints, one-franc-a-piece caramels
    ...(These are all particular kinds of sweets)
    Et les mistrals gagnants
    ...While the mistrals are swelling
    ...(Don't know if I express myself correctly here. The mistral is a hot southern wind, well known and a bit feared by farmers in certain regions in France)

    A r'marcher sous la pluie cinq minutes avec toi
    ...To walk in the rain again with you, for 5 minutes
    Et regarder la vie tant qu'y en a
    ...And look at life, as much as there is
    ...(I think 'life' here means people being busy on the streets, just as in the first stanza)
    Te raconter la Terre en te bouffant des yeux
    ...To tell you about the (whole) world, while devouring you with my eyes (lit.: eating)
    Te parler de ta mère un p'tit peu
    ...To talk a bit about your mother
    Et sauter dans les flaques pour la faire râler
    ...And jump in the puddles to make her grumble
    Bousiller nos godasses et s' marrer
    ...To muddy our shoos, and not care about it
    Et entendre ton rire comme on entend la mer
    ...And to hear your laughter, as one hears the sea
    S'arrêter, r'partir en arrière
    ...To stop, and start again backwards
    Te raconter surtout les carambars d'antan et les cocos bohères
    ...To tell you, most of all, the ... (carambars?) of yore and the ...(cocos bohères?)
    ...(I don't know these words, but considering the context, these must be sweets too,
    ...'carambar' = bar of caramel, 'cocos' = coconut candy?)
    Et les vrais roudoudous qui nous coupaient les lèvres
    ...and the real roudoudous that cut our lips
    ...('roudoudou' is a lolly inside a shell)
    Et nous niquaient les dents
    ...and marred our teeth
    Et les mistrals gagnants
    ...While the mistrals swell

    A m'asseoir sur un banc cinq minutes avec toi
    ...To sit on a bench with you, for 5 minutes,
    Et regarder le soleil qui s'en va
    ...And look at the setting sun
    Te parler du bon temps qu'est mort et je m'en fou
    ...To talk to you about the good times, that died, and I don't care
    Te dire que les méchants c'est pas nous
    ...[To] tell you that we're not the bad guys
    Que si moi je suis barge, ce n'est que de tes yeux
    ...That if I seem (lit.: am) mad, it is only about your eyes
    Car ils ont l'avantage d'être deux
    ...Because they have the advantage of not being alone (lit.: of being two)
    Et entendre ton rire s'envoler aussi haut
    ...And to hear your laughter fly away as high
    Que s'envolent les cris des oiseaux
    ...As the bird's cries do
    Te raconter enfin qu'il faut aimer la vie
    ...To tell you at last that one (maybe 'we' is what is meant) must love life
    Et l'aimer même si le temps est assassin
    ...And love it even if Time is a murderer
    Et emporte avec lui les rires des enfants
    ...who takes away with him the children's laughs
    Et les mistrals gagnants
    ...While the mistrals swell
    Et les mistrals gagnants
    ...While the mistrals swell
     
  3. Roberto_d said:

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    That's very good!
    Thank you very much for valuable help.
     
  4. rcsmit's Avatar

    rcsmit said:

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    In fact, the mistral gagnants are sweets... From wikipedia: "A Mistral Gagnant was a kind of candy. Some of them were "winning" (gagnant) and you could get another one for free."
     
  5. Roberto_d said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by rcsmit View Post
    In fact, the mistral gagnants are sweets... From wikipedia: "A Mistral Gagnant was a kind of candy. Some of them were "winning" (gagnant) and you could get another one for free."
    Thank you for your explain.
     
  6. cortom's Avatar

    cortom said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by rcsmit View Post
    In fact, the mistral gagnants are sweets... From wikipedia: "A Mistral Gagnant was a kind of candy. Some of them were "winning" (gagnant) and you could get another one for free."
    I wasn't too happy about my translation of 'gagnants', but this explains everything. Thank you.
     
  7. kam said:

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    wow, thank you for your time, this has helped me tremendously-- am trying to improve my French through songs, but this one would have had me at the dictionary every other word.
     
  8. Lio said:

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    Thank you to everybody this text has well helped me

    Here is another translation I tried to make more exact. The French version was also corrected about the ticks that I replace with the usual form. So non French speakers can understand even if in the song the word is cut.

    It is still not completely perfect but it will never be, because translation delete necessarily some double meanings...

    Mistral gagnant
    Winning Mistral



    A m'asseoir sur un banc cinq minutes avec toi
    ...To sit on a bench with you five minutes
    Et regarder les gens tant qu'il y en a
    ...And look at the people, as many as there are
    Te parler du bon temps qui est mort ou qui reviendra
    ...To tell you about the good times that is passed away, or that will come back,
    En serrant dans ma main tes petits doigts
    ...Squeezing your small fingers in my hand
    Puis donner à bouffer à des pigeons idiots
    ...Then to feed stupid pigeons
    Leur filer des coups de pieds pour de faux
    ...Pretend at kicking them
    Et entendre ton rire qui lézarde les murs
    ...and hear your laugh cracking the walls
    Qui sait surtout guérir mes blessures
    ...that, most of all, knows to cure my injuries
    Te raconter un peu comment j'étais minaud
    ...To tell you a bit how I was urchin
    Les bonbecs fabuleux qu'on piquait chez le marchand
    ...The fabulous sweets that we used to steal to the shopkeeper place
    Car-en-sac et Minto, caramel à un franc
    ...Car-en-sac, Mint, one-franc-a-piece caramel (they are kinds of sweet)
    Et les Mistrals gagnants
    ...And the winning Mistrals


    A remarcher sous la pluie cinq minutes avec toi
    ...To walk again in the rain with you five minutes
    Et regarder la vie tant qu'il y en a
    ...And look at the life, as much as there is
    Te raconter la Terre en te bouffant des yeux
    ...To tell you about the Earth gobbling you up with my eyes

    Te parler de ta mère un petit peu
    ...To talk a bit about your mother
    Et sauter dans les flaques pour la faire râler
    ...And jump into the puddles to make her grumble
    Bousiller nos godasses et se marrer
    ...To destroy our shoes and have fun
    Et entendre ton rire comme on entend la mer
    ...And to hear your laugh as they hear the sea
    S'arrêter, repartir en arrière
    ...To stop, to restart backwards
    Te raconter surtout les Carambars d'antan et les Cocos Bohères
    ...To tell you, most of all, the Carambars of yesteryear and the Cocos Bohères (kinds of sweet)
    Et les vrais Roudoudous qui nous coupaient les lèvres
    ...and the real Roudoudous that cut our lips ("roudoudou" is a lolly inside a shell)
    Et nous niquaient les dents
    ...and ****ed our teeth
    Et les Mistrals gagnants
    ...And the winning Mistrals

    A m'asseoir sur un banc cinq minutes avec toi
    ...To sit on a bench with you five minutes
    Et regarder le soleil qui s'en va
    ...And look at the sun that is walking away
    Te parler du bon temps qui est mort et je m'en fou
    ...To tell you about the good times that is passed away and I don't give a damn

    Te dire que les méchants c'est pas nous
    ...To tell you that we're not the bads
    Que si moi je suis barge, ce n'est que de tes yeux
    ...That if me, I am nutter, it is only for your eyes
    Car ils ont l'avantage d'être deux
    ...Because they have the advantage to be two

    Et entendre ton rire s'envoler aussi haut
    ...And to hear your laugh to fly away as high
    Que s'envolent les cris des oiseaux
    ...As the bird's calls fly away

    Te raconter enfin qu'il faut aimer la vie
    ...To tell you at last it is necessary to love the life
    Et l'aimer même si le temps est assassin
    ...And love it even if the time is a murderer
    Et emporte avec lui les rires des enfants
    ...and carry away the laughs of children with him
    Et les Mistrals gagnants
    ...And the winning Mistrals
    Et les Mistrals gagnants
    ...And the winning Mistrals


    I love this song
     
  9. Quentin-dA said:

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    I've read your translations, it's really good job, yet I would have a correction to make :
    TANT QU'Y'EN A = I thing there is a mistranslation here, it is clearly temporal; I would translate it as : And look at the people while there are still some / look at life while there is still some in the 2nd verse. Much more beautiful this way, isn't it?
    And your translations seem (maybe I'm wrong) very formal to me, Renaud's language is very colloquial, almost slang (bouffer = slang for eat, niquer = f*ck up, even bonbec is a deformation of bonbon, "sweet"). Plus, don't be afraid of contractions, Renaud would never have said "will', but "'ll" for instance, he doesn't sing "regarded" but "r'garder", etc. It may seem secondary but I think it's quite important. His songs were always between singing and speaking.