Jacques Brel — Mon enfance song lyrics and translation
The page contains the lyrics and English translation of the song "Mon enfance" by Jacques Brel.
Lyrics
Mon enfance passa, de grisailles en silences
De fausses rvrences, en manque de batailles
L’hiver, j’tais au ventre de la grande maison
Qui avait jet l’ancre au nord parmi les joncs
L’t moiti nu, mais tout fait modeste
Je devenais indien, pourtant dj certain
Que mes oncles repus m’avaient vol le Far West
Mon enfance passa, les femmes aux cuisines
O je rvais de Chine, vieillissaient en repas
Les hommes au fromage s’enveloppaient de tabac
Flamands taiseux et sages et ne me savaient pas
Moi qui toutes les nuits, agenouill pour rien
Arpgeais mon chagrin au pied du trop grand lit
Je voulais prendre un train que je n’ai jamais pris
Mon enfance passa, de servante en servante
Je m’tonnais dj qu’elles ne fussent point plantes
Je m’tonnais encore de ces ronds de famille
Flnant de mort en mort et que le deuil habille
Je m’tonnais surtout d’tre de ce troupeau
Qui m’apprenait pleurer, que je connaissais trop
J’avais l'њil du berger mais le cњur de l’agneau
Mon enfance clata, ce fut l’adolescence
Et le mur du silence, un matin se brisa
Ce fut la premire fleur et la premire fille
La premire gentille et la premire peur
Je volais, je le jure, je jure que je volais
Mon cњur ouvrait les bras, je n’tais plus barbare
Et la guerre arriva, et nous voil ce soir.
Lyrics translation
My childhood passed, from Gray to silent
False dreams, lack of battles
Winter, I'm silent in the belly of the Big House
Who had cast anchor to the North among the rushes
The t half naked, but all made modest
I became an Indian, yet dj certain
That my reputed uncles had stolen the Wild West from me
My childhood passed, women in kitchens
O I was from China, aged in meals
Men with cheese wrapped themselves in tobacco
Flemish quiet and wise and did not know me
Me who kneel every night for nothing
Arpgeais my grief at the foot of the too big bed
I wanted to take a train that I never took
My childhood passed from handmaid to Handmaid
I was so bored that they were not plants
I was still bored with these family rounds
Flnant from death to death and let mourning dress
I was especially bored with this herd.
Who taught me to cry, whom I knew too much
I had the shepherd's heart but the lamb's heart
My childhood clata, it was adolescence
And the wall of silence, one morning broke
It was the first flower and the first daughter
The first kind and the first fear
I was flying, I swear, I swear I was flying
My heart opened my arms, I no longer be barbaric
And the war came, and here we are tonight.