Sunday 17 January 2016

Quicksands








Sables mouvants
Démons et merveilles
Vents et marées
Au loin déjà la mer s'est retirée
Démons et merveilles
Vents et marées
Et toi
Comme une algue doucement caressée par le vent
Dans les sables du lit tu remues en rêvant
Démons et merveilles
Vents et marées
Au loin déjà la mer s'est retirée
Mais dans tes yeux entrouverts
Deux petites vagues sont restées
Démons et merveilles
Vents et marées
Deux petites vagues pour me noyer.


We are going on with our journey through Jacques Prévert poetry and his best loved book "Paroles" ("Words" or "Lyrics"). Most of these poems have been turned into songs or have been written to be songs, as this poem, which was written for the movie "Les Visiteurs du Soir", released in 1942, in occupied France. It was directed by Marcel Carné, best remembered for another film, "Les Enfants du Paradis". (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Visiteurs_du_Soir).



https://youtu.be/aZ9L0WN8gUk
This is the song in the film




https://youtu.be/TD-wH04uA5w
and this is the song as I first heard it  as a child, sung by Cora Vaucaire

And here is how it might be translated in English

Quiksands
Demons and marvels

Winds and tides
Far away already the sea has gone out
And you
Like seaweed gently caressed by the wind
In the sands of sleep you stir dreaming
Demons and marvels
Winds and tides
Far away already the sea has gone out
But in your half-open eyes
Two little waves remain
Demons and marvels
Winds and tide
Two little waves to drown myself in.






No comments:

Post a Comment