Charles Trenet — Paie tes dettes song lyrics and translation
The page contains the lyrics and English translation of the song "Paie tes dettes" by Charles Trenet.
Lyrics
Il était couvert de dettes
De la tête aux pieds.
Chez lui, venaient faire la quête
Tous ses créanciers
Et pour fuir ces personnages
Qui le torturaient,
Un jour, sans faire de tapage
Il partit pour la forêt.
Au pied d’un arbre, il s’endormit
Et, pendant qu’il rêvait,
Un oiseau tout en haut de lui,
Sur une branche, lui chantait:
«Paye tes dettes, paye tes dettes, une, deux.
Paye tes dettes, paye tes dettes, mon vieux.
Paye tes dettes, paye tes dettes.
C’est mieux
Ou sans ça
Ça n’ira pas.»
Il se dit dans son sommeil:
«C'est la voix d’ma conscience
Qui m’poursuit, qui me surveille.
Je vais à mon réveil
Rembourser tous ces amis
Qui m’ont fait confiance.
Non plus jamais, je me l’dis,
Je n’veux de crédit.»
«Paye tes dettes, paye tes dettes !» disait
«Paye tes dettes, paye tes dettes !» l’oiseau.
«Paye tes dettes, paye tes dettes.»
Allez !
Il y fût, fût tout de go.
Quel souv’nir, quelle belle journée
Quand il régla tout (Tout!)
C’qu’il devait d’puis des années
Jusqu’au dernier sou.
Il s’défit même de sa ch’mise.
On peut s’passer d'ça …
Dans les bois, soufflait la brise.
Tout joyeux, il y r’tourna.
Sous le même arbre, il s'étendit.
Alors, le même oiseau
Vint s’poser là, tout près de lui,
En répétant d’un air idiot:
«Paye tes dettes, paye tes dettes, une, deux.
Paye tes dettes, paye tes dettes, mon vieux.
Paye tes dettes, paye tes dettes.
C’est mieux
Ou sans ça
Ça n’ira pas.»
Dans l’instant même, il comprit
Que la voix d’sa conscience
N'était autre qu’un volatile
Absurde et obstiné
Qui répétait le même cri
Depuis sa naissance,
Sans savoir ce qu’il disait.
Quelle destinée !
«Paye tes dettes, paye tes dettes !» disait
«Paye tes dettes, paye tes dettes !» l’oiseau.
«Paye tes dettes, paye tes dettes.»
Assez,
Ou je vais te fracasser !
Et c’est ce qu’il fit,
A l’oiseau, le cou il tordit
Et le lendemain, dans tous les magasins
Et auprès de tous ses copains…
Il fit des dettes, fit des dettes, une, deux.
Il fit des dettes.
Ah !
C’est mieux
Puis un soir, devenu vieux,
Très vieux,
Il mourut
Couvert de dettes.
Lyrics translation
He was covered in debt
From head to toe.
At his house came to make the quest
All its creditors
And to escape these characters
Who tortured him,
One day, without making a fuss
He left for the forest.
At the foot of a tree, he falls asleep
And, while he was dreaming,
A bird at the top of him,
On a branch, sang to him:
"Pay your debts, pay your debts, one, two.
Pay your debts, pay your debts, old man.
Pay your debts, pay your debts.
It's better
Or without it
It won't work.»
He tells himself in his sleep:
"This is the voice of my conscience
Who follows me, who watches me.
I'm going to wake up
Reimburse all these friends
Who trusted me.
Never again, I tell myself,
I don't want credit.»
"Pay your debts, pay your debts !» say
"Pay your debts, pay your debts !"the bird.
"Pay your debts, pay your debts.»
Come on !
There was, was all go.
What a SUV'nir, what a beautiful day
When he regulated everything (everything!)
That he owed years later
Every penny.
He even gets rid of his job.
We can do without that. …
In the woods, the breeze was blowing.
All happy, he turned there.
Under the same tree he stretched out.
So, the same bird
Came to land there, near him,
Repeating in an idiotic way:
"Pay your debts, pay your debts, one, two.
Pay your debts, pay your debts, old man.
Pay your debts, pay your debts.
It's better
Or without it
It won't work.»
At the very moment, he understood
That the voice of his conscience
Was nothing but a volatile
Absurd and stubborn
Who repeated the same cry
Since his birth,
Without knowing what he was saying.
What a Destiny !
"Pay your debts, pay your debts !» say
"Pay your debts, pay your debts !"the bird.
"Pay your debts, pay your debts.»
Enough,
Or I'll smash you !
And that's what he did,
At the bird, the neck it twists
And the next day, in all stores
And to all his friends…
He made debts, made debts, one, two.
He made debts.
Ah!
It's better
Then one evening, Old,
Very old,
He died
Covered in debt.