Complainte De La Butte

Complaint of the Hill

Complainte De La Butte

The moon too paleLa lune trop blême
Places a diademPose un diadème
On your red hairSur tes cheveux roux
The moon too redLa lune trop rousse
Splashes with gloryDe gloire éclabousse
Your skirt full of holesTon jupon plein d'trous
The moon too paleLa lune trop pâle
Caresses the opalCaresse l'opale
Of your jaded eyesDe tes yeux blasés
Princess of the streetPrincesse de la rue
Be welcomeSoit la bienvenue
In my wounded heartDans mon coeur blessé

The stairways up to the hillThe stairways up to la butte
Can make the wretched sighCan make the wretched sigh
While windmill wingsWhile windmill wings
Of the millOf the moulin
Shelter you and IShelter you and I

Little beggar girlPetite mendigotte
I feel your little handJe sens ta menotte
Searching for mineQui cherche ma main
I feel your chestJe sens ta poitrine
And your slim waistEt ta taille fine
I forget my sorrowJ'oublie mon chagrin
I smell on your lipsJe sens sur tes lèvres
A feverish smellUne odeur de fièvre
Of a poorly fed childDe gosse mal nourrie
And under your caressEt sous ta caresse
I feel a drunkennessJe sens une ivresse
That annihilates meQui m'anéantit

The stairways up to the hillThe stairways up to la butte
Can make the wretched sighCan make the wretched sigh
While windmill wingsWhile windmill wings
Of the millOf the moulin
Shelter you and IShelter you and I

But here it trotsMais voilà qu'il trotte
The floating moonLa lune qui flotte
The princess tooLa princesse aussi
Under the moonless skySous le ciel sans lune
I cry in the duskJe pleure à la brune
My vanished dreamMon rêve évanoui

The stairways of the hillLes escaliers de la butte
Are harsh to the wretchedSont durs aux miséreux
The wings of the windmillsLes ailes des moulins
Protect the loversProtègent les amoureux