Le petit cheval - Georges Brassens

Brassens makes a song of Paul Fort’s poem about a little white horse. With its catchy refrain lines: “Tous derrière, tous derrière” ........... “Tous derrière et lui devant »this has become a popular children’s song often taught in French primary schools. Yet a French girl commenting after the YouTube recording tells how it always made her cry as a child and now that she sees it again at eighteen, it has the same effect.

Here Brassens is accompanied by Nana Mouskouri

Le petit cheval Le p'tit ch'val dans le mauvais temps Qu'il avait donc du courage ! C'était un petit cheval blanc Tous derrière, tous derrière C'était un petit cheval blanc Tous derrière et lui devant ! Il n'y avait jamais de beau temps Dans ce pauvre paysage ! Il n'y avait jamais de printemps Ni derrière, ni derrière, Il n'y avait jamais de printemps Ni derrière ni devant ! Mais toujours il était content Menant les gars du village A travers la pluie noire des champs Tous derrière, tous derrière A travers la pluie noire des champs Tous derrière et lui devant ! Sa voiture allait poursuivant Sa bell' petit' queue sauvage C'est alors qu'il était content Tous derrière, tous derrière C'est alors qu'il était content Tous derrière et lui devant ! Mais un jour dans le mauvais temps, Un jour qu'il était si sage Il est mort par un éclair blanc Tous derrière, tous derrière Il est mort par un éclair blanc(1) Tous derrière et lui devant ! Il est mort sans voir le beau temps Qu'il avait donc du courage ! Il est mort sans voir le printemps Ni derrière, ni derrière Il est mort sans voir le printemps Ni derrière, ni devant ! Paul Fort Brassens (1953) La mauvaise réputation

The little horse in bad weather What a lot of courage he had! He was just a little white horse All at the back, all at the back He was just a little white horse All at the back and he in front! There wasn’t ever fine weather On this ill-favoured countryside There was never a sign of Spring Not at the back, Not at the back, There was never a sign of Spring Not at the back nor in front! And yet he was always content Taking the lads of the village Through heavy black rain of the fields All at the back, all at the back Through heavy black rain of the fields All at the back and he in front! His cart rolled along, pursuing His fine lit’le tail wildly lashing It was then that he was content All at the back, all at the back It was then that he was content All at the back and he in front! But one day in the bad weather, One day when he’d been oh so good He died struck by a lightning flash All at the back, all at the back He died struck by a lightning flash All at the back and he in front! He died without see’ng fine weather What a lot of courage he had! He died without seeing the spring Not at the back, Not at the back, He died without seeing the spring Not at the back, nor in front!

TRANSLATION NOTE

1) un éclair blanc – There are two contrasting colours in this poem, the black pessimism of the grim scene and its weather with its black rain. In contrast there is the white optimism of the horse and surprisingly the force that kills him is white. Perhaps there is a symbol that the horse, who did no wrong, was too good for this world and was taken to join the light.


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