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Valley Oak
02-23-2012, 08:03 PM
Here is the song in Youtube:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u68Z2B36-3c)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u68Z2B36-3c

I am trying to translate this famous French song from the 1960s. I looked up the English translation on the Internet but the lyrics are written differently so I tried my hand at translating from a language that I don't speak.

Can anyone please look at the translation below to see if it is accurate? I put my English translation immediately below each of the French sentences.

Thank you!

"L'amour Est Bleu"
(Love Is Blue)

Doux, doux, l’amour est doux
Sweet, sweet, love is sweet
Douce est ma vie, ma vie dans tes bras
Sweet is my life, my life in your arms

Doux, doux, l’amour est doux
Sweet, sweet, love is sweet
Douce est ma vie, ma vie pres de toi
Sweet is my life, my life is close to you

Bleu, bleu, l’amour est bleu
Blue, blue, love is blue
Berce mon coeur, mon coeur amoureux
Cradle my heart, my heart in love

Bleu, bleu, l’amour est bleu
Blue, blue, love is blue
Berce mon coeur, mon coeur amoureux
Cradle my heart, my heart in love

Bleu, bleu, l’amour est bleu
Blue, blue, love is blue
Bleu comme le ciel qui joue dans tes yeux
Blue like the sky that kisses in your eyes

Comme l’eau, comme l’eau qui court
Like water, like water that runs
Moi, mon coeur court après ton amour
Me, my heart runs after your love

Gris, gris, l’amour est gris
Grey, grey, love is grey
Pleure mon coeur lorsque tu t’en vas
Tears in my heart whenever you leave

Gris, gris, le ciel est gris
Grey, grey, the sky is grey
Tombe la pluie quand tu n’es plus la
The rain falls when you’re not here

Le vent, le vent gemit
The wind, the wind moans
Pleure le vent lorsque tu t’en vas
Tears in the wind whenever you leave

Le vent, le vent maudit
The wind, the wind curses
Pleure mon coeur quand tu n’es plus la
Tears in my heart when you and rain here

Comme l’eau, comme l’eau qui court
Like water, like water that runs
Moi, mon coeur court après ton amour
Me, my heart runs after your love

Bleu, bleu, l’amour est bleu
Blue, blue, love is blue
Le ciel est bleu lorsque tu reviens
The sky is blue whenever you come back

Bleu, bleu, l’amour est bleu
Blue, blue, love is blue
L’amour est bleu quand tu prends ma main
Love is blue when you take my hand

Fou, fou, l’amour est fou
Crazy, crazy, love is crazy
Fou comme toi et fou comme moi
Crazy like you and crazy like me

Bleu, bleu, l’amour est bleu
Blue, blue, love is blue
L’amour est bleu quand je suis a toi
Love is blue when I’m without you

L’amour est bleu quand je suis a toi
Love is blue when I’m without you

Claire
02-24-2012, 07:17 PM
Hi Edward, I'll show this to my mother for the subtleties we may be missing, but here are a few tweaks for you.
Also, are you looking for literal translation or poetic/ lyrical complement?
The phrasing is quite poetic, as in Falls the rain, Cries my heart or fall the rain, cry my heart.

Douce est ma vie, ma vie pres de toi
Sweet is my life, my life close to you

Tombe la pluie quand tu n’es plus la
The rain falls when you’re not here
The meaning is when you are no longer here

Pleure mon coeur quand tu n’es plus la
Cries my heart, when you are no longer here (or you have left)


L’amour est bleu quand je suis a toi
Love is blue when I’m with you

I think Patchen has it right too, in that the line " Bleu comme le ciel qui joue dans tes yeux" is
Blue like the sky that plays in your eyes

I'll ask Maman, she'll set me straight. :)