Saturday 8 January 2011

Les Philistins - A son you dreamt of as a lawyer turns out a hairy poet

I find this a very charming little song which Brassens wrote from the poem of Jean Richepin. It also has a touch of poignancy. I enjoy the immaculate style with which the very attractive French singer, Sandrine Devienne performs it and I have made hers the first video on this post
Brassens has songs of two of the poems of the 19th century writer and poet, Richepin (1849-1926); the other is “Les oiseaux de passage”, which I have not yet translated.

This is a portrait of Jean Richepin and when I draw attention to his long bushy hair, his beard and his moustache, I am not being gratuitously personal.

What a come-down it would be if your child grew up to be a person who looked like this!  At least that is what the "philistines" think.





Brassens' recording of this song :




Les Philistins(1)

Philistins, épiciers,
Tandis que vous caressiez,
Vos femmes,

En songeant, aux petits
Que vos grossiers appétits
Engendrent,

Vous pensiez: "Ils seront,
Menton rasé, ventre rond
Notaires."

Mais pour bien vous punir,
Un jour vous voyez venir
Sur terre

Des enfants non voulus
Qui deviennent chevelus
Poètes.

Vous pensiez: "Ils seront,
Menton rasé, ventre rond
Notaires."

Mais pour bien vous punir,
Un jour vous voyez venir
Sur terre

Des enfants non voulus
Qui deviennent chevelus
Poètes.

Jean Richepin
1957 - Je me suis fait tout petit

Philistines, grocerymen
All the while you were caressing
Your wives

Dreaming of  little ones
That your lecherous appetites
Engender,

You used to think: "They will be
Clean shaven, round of belly
Lawyers."

But to soundly punish you
 One fine day you see arrive
On earth

Children not as wished for
Who turn out to be long-haired
Poets.

You used to think: "They will be
Clean shaven, round of belly
Lawyers

But to soundly punish you
One fine day you see arrive
On earth

Children not as wished for
Who turn out to be long-haired
Poets.





 TRANSLATION NOTE

(1) Definitions of the word "philistine" from an English and from a French dictionary:

Philistine - often the word is not written with a capital “P”
a :  a person who is guided by materialism and is usually disdainful of intellectual or artistic values
b :  a person who is not informed in a certain area of knowledge.

 Philistin

a :  Personne qui a peu de goût pour les arts et la littérature. - b :  Personne qui par extension est ignorant et fat (In English-smug) .


I like Sandrine Devienne's recording of this song



Philistins Sandrine Devienne by viala12

It appears that Sandrine Devienne has recorded an album of the songs of Brassens where his lyrics are taken from other French poets:



1 comment:

Anthony Green said...

Sandrine Devienne? Really?

I mean, why not a Dailymotion or a youtube recording of it, sung by Georges Brassens?

Wasn't there any available? Why not?