Pauvre Martin - A touching song of a farm labourer who asked nothing from life and got it.

Brassens paints a touching portrait of an impoverished agricultural labourer, whose life is hard but who accepts his fate with total equanimity - Another of society’s outsiders for whom he felt great compassion.

Pauvre Martin Avec une bêche à l'épaule, Avec à la lèvre un doux chant, Avec à la lèvre un doux chant, Avec à l'âme (1) un grand courage, Il s'en allait trimer aux champs Pauvre Martin, pauvre misère,(2) Creuse la terre, creuse le temps Pour gagner le pain de sa vie, De l'aurore jusqu'au couchant, De l'aurore jusqu'au couchant, Il s'en allait bêcher la terre En tous les lieux, par tous les temps Pauvre Martin, pauvre misère, Creuse la terre, creuse le temps Sans laisser voir sur son visage Ni l'air jaloux ni l'air méchant, Ni l'air jaloux ni l'air méchant, Il retournait le champ des autres, Toujours bêchant, toujours bêchant Pauvre Martin, pauvre misère, Creuse la terre, creuse le temps Et quand la mort lui a fait signe De labourer son dernier champ, De labourer son dernier champ, Il creusa lui-même sa tombe En faisant vite, en se cachant Pauvre Martin, pauvre misère, Creuse la terre, creuse le temps Il creusa lui-même sa tombe En faisant vite, en se cachant En faisant vite, en se cachant, Et s'y étendit sans rien dire Pour ne pas déranger les gens Pauvre Martin, pauvre misère, Dors sous la terre, dors sous le temps!(3) Georges Brassens 1954 - Les amoureux des bancs publics

With a spade upon his shoulder With, on his lips, a little song With, on his lips, a little song With, deep within, spirit unbroken He would go to the fields to toil Poor old Martin, mis'rably poor Digs at the earth, digs away time. To earn enough bread to live off From crack of dawn ‘til setting sun From crack of dawn ‘til setting sun He would go off to work the land Off anywhere in all weather Poor old Martin, mis'rably poor Digs at the earth, digs away time. He let appear upon his face No look of envy or of spite No look of envy or of spite Tilling fields belonging to others Digging nonstop, digging nonstop Poor old Martin, mis'rably poor Digs at the earth, digs away time And when death gave him the signal To begin work on his last field To begin work on his last field He dug for himself his own grave Getting done quick, keeping hidden Poor old Martin, mis'rably poor Digs at the earth, digs away time. He dug for himself his own grave Getting done quick, keeping hidden Getting done quick, keeping hidden And laid him there with no word said So as not to trouble people. Poor old Martin, mis'rably poor Sleep neath the earth, sleep under time

TRANSLATION NOTES

1) Avec à l'âme = Literally  - With, in his soul, ...

2) We French teachers bore or perhaps amuse people by talking about "faux amis". The word "misère" is one of these - it looks like the English word "misery" but it means extreme poverty (Of course the two ideas are not unrelated).

3) Brassens often talks of death and the ravages of time in his songs.

Barbara sings this song:

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