- Jilann O'Neill
'If You Go Away' vs 'Don't Leave Me'
‘Ne Me Quitte Pas’ is very close to the top of the pantheon of French music. Jacques Brel is a Belgian born singer and writer of some of the most iconic French language songs ever written. There are so many, and we will certainly visit more in the future, but this is the ‘gateway’ song to the passion that is Brel.
So, whether you know it already or you don't, read on! Because ‘Ne Me Quitte Pas’ is always worth a listen and a ponder. When is love in any form: lost, obessesed, found, broken, tortured or passionate ever not worth a listen? (insert melancholic smile here)
Many English speaking audiences might know the song from its translated version ‘If You Go Away’ performed by artists such as Scott Walker, Dusty Springfield and even Sinatra. Nina Simone gave a daring, and gut-wrenching rendition in French.
But, like most translated songs, the lyric shifts dramatically and far, far away from Brel’s original poetry. The English version has merit on its own and it still holds some of that heartache in the lyrics (it would be impossible to remove the melancholy from the melody) but the literal translation of Jacques Brel’s text is too stunning to let go by.
So, we want to make sure we give this iconic song its due by offering you this translated lyric along with some links where you can hear the different versions. It’s a sad song for sure, delving into obsession, passion and the gravity of a broken heart. But, well, being that it’s at the pinnacle of french music we couldn’t ignore its importance or impact.
So let your heart sigh a bit…and visit (or revisit) the poetry of ‘Ne Me Quitte Pas’
SOME LINKS TO DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE SONG: - A stunning live version
- A version with english subtitles - Another lovely version. Slightly different. Mostly just piano voice with minimal orchestration.
LES PAROLES THE LYRICS
Ne me quitte pas. Don’t leave me
Il faut oublier, One must forget
Tout peut s’oublier, All can be forgotten
Qui s’enfuit déjà. Which is already passed
Oublier le temps Forget the times
Des malentendus Of misunderstandings
Et le temps perdu And the time lost
À savoir comment. Trying to know why
Oublier ces heures Forget these hours
Qui tuaient parfois That sometimes killed
À coups de pourquoi With shots of why
Le cœur du bonheur. The heart of happiness
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas. Don’t leave me
Moi, je t’offrirai Me, I will offer you
Des perles de pluie Pearls of rain
Venues de pays From a country
Où il ne pleut pas. Where it does not rain
Je creuserai la terre I will dig the earth
Jusqu’après ma mort Until after my death
Pour couvrir ton corps To cover your body
D’or et de lumière. In gold and light
Je ferai un domaine I will build a kingdom
Où l’amour sera roi, Where love will be king
Où l’amour sera loi, Where love will be law
Où tu seras reine. Where you will be queen
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas. Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas. Don’t leave me
Je t’inventerai I will invent for you
Des mots insensés Words that make no sense
Que tu comprendras. But that you will understand
Je te parlerai I will speak to you
De ces amants-là Of these lovers
Qui ont vu deux fois Who have twice seen
Leurs cœurs s’embraser. Their hearts set ablaze
Je te raconterai I will tell you
L’histoire de ce roi The history of a king
Mort de n’avoir pas Who is dead for not having
Pu te rencontrer. Been able to meet you
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas. Don’t leave me
On a vu souvent One has often seen
Rejaillir le feu The fire awakened
De l’ancien volcano From the old volcano
Qu’on croyait trop vieux. That was thought too old
Il est, paraît-il, It is, it seems
Des terres brûlées The burned land
Donnant plus de blé That gives more wheat
Qu’un meilleur avril. Than the best April
Et quand vient le soir, And when the night comes
Pour qu’un ciel flamboie, For the sky to blaze
Le rouge et le noir The red and the black
Ne s’épousent-ils pas? Must they not marry?
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas. Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas. Don’t leave me
Je ne vais plus pleurer, I will no longer cry
Je ne vais plus parler. I will no longer speak
Je me cacherai là I will hide here
À te regarder, To watch you
Danser et sourire Danse and smile
Et à t’écouter And listen to you
Chanter et puis rire. Sing and then laugh
Laisse-moi devenir Let me become
L’ombre de ton ombre, The shadow of your shadow
L’ombre de ta main, The shadow of your hand
L’ombre de ton chien. The shadow of your dog
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas, Don’t leave me
Ne me quitte pas. Don’t leave me
