Autumn Leaves/Les feuilles mortes de Jacques Prevert. Translation by T. Wig (poem) by T. Wignesan on AuthorsDen

Autumn Leaves/Les feuilles mortes de Jacques Prevert. Translation by T. Wig
by T. Wignesan → (All Poetry by T. Wignesan)
Tuesday, December 15, 2020 Rated "G" by the Author.

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Translation of "Autumn Leaves/Les feuilles mortes"...autumn that reminds one of lost loves...

Autumn Leaves/Les feuilles mortes de Jacques PREVERT (1900-77) Translated by T. Wignesan (Note: As far as I can make out, this poem is at the heart of all versions of « The Autumn Leaves " - Sung by Edith Piaf, Juliette Gréco, Yves Montand, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and the like…)T. Wignesan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJZtOwaizjE Mix - Chet Baker & Paul Desmond: "Autumn Leaves" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsz3mrnIBd0 Oh! Je voudrais tant que tu te souviennes Oh! How I wish you’d remember des jours heureux où nous étions amis the joyous days when we were friends En ce temps-là la vie était plus belle In those days life was more beautiful et le soleil plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui and the sun shone brighter than nowadays Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle Dead leaves one gathered by shovels Tu vois je n'ai pas oublié You see I have not forgotten Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle Fallen leaves one shoveled at will les souvenirs et les regrets aussi memories and regrets as well et le vent du nord les emporte and the wind from the north swept them dans la nuit froide de l'oubli into the cold night of forgetfulness Tu vois je n'ai pas oublié You see I have not forgotten la chanson que tu me chantais the song you sang to me C'est une chanson qui nous ressemble It was a song likened to ourselves Toi tu m'aimais You who loved me et je t'aimais and I likewise repaid Et nous vivions tous deux ensemble And we lived each with the other toi qui m'aimais you who loved me et que j'aimais and you I likewise loved Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment But life puts apart those in love tout doucement with infinite care sans faire de bruit without much ado et la mer efface sur le sable and sea waves efface on the sands les pas des amants désunis the footprints of lovers put asunder Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle Loads of dead leaves one shovels les souvenirs et les regrets aussi memories and regrets as well Mais mon amour silencieux et fidèle But my love silent and steadfast sourit toujours et remercie la vie always smiles and gives thanks to life Je t'aimais tant tu étais si jolie I loved you so much for your beauty Comment veux-tu que je t'oublie How could you wish that I forget you En ce temps-là la vie était plus belle In those days when living was far more joyous et le soleil plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui and the sun burnt brighter than nowadays Tu étais ma plus douce amie… You were my sweetest friend… Mais je n'ai que faire des regrets But all I can do is to feel regretful Et la chanson que tu chantais And the song you sang toujours toujours je l'entendrai forever forever rings in my ears C'est une chanson qui nous ressemble It’s a song akin to us Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais You who loved me and I likewise you Et nous vivions tous deux ensemble And the two of us lived together toi qui m'aimais que j'aimais you who loved me and I likewise you Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment But life puts apart those in love tout doucement with infinite care sans faire de bruit without much ado et la mer efface sur le sable and sea waves efface on the sands les pas des amants désunis. the footprints of lovers put asunder. (c) T. Wignesan - Paris, December 14, 2020

Reviewed by T. Wignesan

Reviewed on December 15, 2020

Bonsoir, Ron ! If I have not already wished you, here's the VERY BEST of the SEASON for you and your clan: MAY THE NEW YEAR USHER in NEW VISTAS on the local front !

As for your comment, you are of course - in the strictest sense - right, but "shovel" in the poem (a more frequent translation of "pelle") is used metaphorically in the sense of "piles and piles" that one could as with memories "shovel": "à la pelle" in French can be construed as "by the dozen" too, you may wish to note.

The words of "Fallen Leaves" have been sung by many using a mixture of Prevert's lyrics and, if I'm not mistaken (I'll check), Johnny Mercer's as well. In any case, I'm including an URL at the head of the poem of Andrea Bocelli, the blind operatic artiste, singing the song (there are partial literal translations as well with which I'm not happy) so that you can compare and enjoy the original and the variation.
P.S. I have now used "Autumn Leaves" instead of "Fallen Leaves" (the same in meaning) in order to avoid connections with the "Fallen Leaves" music group.
Every good wish.

Reviewed by Ronald Hull

Perhaps the poem is the source of Falling Leaves, but it doesn't seem to follow the words in the song very closely at all. Even though the sentiment may. A couple of places you translated shovel. Here in the United States we use a shovel to remove snow in winter and a rake to rake piles of leaves in the fall (only to have the wind come along and blow the leaves from the pile all over again for another required raking.

Thank you so much for the translation.

Ron