For history of the bridge click this link to the Wikipediaarticle.
Brassens is amused that the wind, no respecter of persons of whatever kind, mischievously strikes the bridge with its strong gusts, discomforting and embarrassing stuffy people of all social classes.
- Le vent
(Refrain)
Si , par
hasard ,
Sur l'
pont des Arts ,
Tu
crois's le vent(1) , le vent fripon(2) ,
Prudenc'
, prends garde à ton jupon!
Si , par
hasard ,
Sur l'
pont des Arts ,
Tu
crois's le vent , le vent maraud(3),
Prudent ,
prends garde à ton chapeau !
Les
jean-foutre(4) et les gens probes(5)
Médis'nt(6) du vent furibond(7)
Qui
rebrousse(8) les bois ,
Détrouss'(9) les toits ,
Retrouss'(10) les robes ...
Des
jean-foutre et des gens probes ,
Le vent ,
je vous en réponds(11),
S'en
soucie(12) , et c'est justic' ,
comm' de
colin-tampon(13)
(Refrain)
Si, par hasard,
Sur l' pont des Arts,
Tu crois's le vent, le vent fripon,
Prudenc', prends garde à ton jupon !
Si, par hasard,
Sur l' pont des Arts,
Tu crois's le vent, le vent maraud,
Prudenc', prends garde à ton chapeau !
Bien sûr
, si l'on ne se fonde
Que sur
ce qui saute aux yeux(14) ,
Le vent
semble une brut'
raffolant(15) de nuire à tout l' monde
Mais une
attention profonde
Prouv'
que c'est chez les fâcheux(16)
Qu'il
préfèr' choisir les victim's de ses petits jeux
(Refrain)
Si, par hasard,
Sur l' pont des Arts,
Tu crois's le vent, le vent fripon,
Prudenc', prends garde à ton jupon !
Si, par hasard,
Sur l' pont des Arts,
Tu crois's le vent, le vent maraud,
Prudenc', prends garde à ton chapeau !
|
The wind
(Refrain)
If, by some chance,
On th’ Pont des Arts,
You meet the wind, the impish wind
Take care, hold tight onto your skirt!
If by some chance,
On th’ Pont des Arts
You meet the wind, the rascal wind
Watch out, hold tight onto your hat!
The bedraggled and prim'n proper
Malign the furious wind
Which lifts the woodwork,
Strips tiles off roofs,
Blows dresses high….
Of bedraggled and spick and span ,
The wind, I guarantee you,
Frets about it, and quite rightly,
Not in the slightest bit.
(Refrain)
If, by some chance,
On th’ Pont des Arts,
You meet the wind, the impish wind
Take care, hold tight onto your skirt!
If by some chance,
On th’ Pont des Arts
You meet the wind, the rascal wind
Watch out, hold tight onto your hat!
Of course if you base yourself on
Only your first impression
Then the wind seems to be a brute
Crazy to do everyone harm
But a deep examination
Proves that it's from the irksome people
He prefers to choose the victims of
his little games.
(Refrain)
If, by some chance,
On th’ Pont des Arts,
You meet the wind, the impish wind
Take care, hold tight onto your skirt!
If by some chance,
On th’ Pont des Arts
You meet the wind, the rascal wind
Watch out, hold tight onto your hat!
|
Georges Brassens - 1953
- Les amoureux des bancs publics
Le Vent -
Translation Notes (The Vocabulary)
1) crois's le vent ,= (Croiser quelque chose) to chance to run
into/ to bump into something - to pass someone or something coming in the opposite direction.
2) le vent fripon - the mischievous/ cheeky wind
3) le vent maraud – the rascally wind
4) Jean-foutre – My Petit Larousse tells me that "Je m'en foutisme" = insouciance. that means not giving a care about anything.
5) des gens probes ,
upstanding upright right-minded. ( There is a contrast here that can make you think that Brassens is, typically, making a reference to social disparity. In this context, I think though, that he is merely saying here that the two extremes of contrasting dress styles reveal the complete range of people picked on by the mischievous wind.)
6) Médis'nt du vent (Médire de) –slander –speak ill of
7) vent furibond – furious – livid – angry wind
8) rebrousse les bois – brush up (e.g. hair) in the wrong
direction
9) Détrouss' les toits – Strip the roofs -Détrousser means to
rob violently (eg in a hold up)- to fleece you of your possessions
10) Retrouss' les robes – hitch up/ hike up dresses – roll up
(sleeves)
11) répondre de qch – to vouch for something
12) Il ne soucie pas de- he does not care about - he has no regard to
11) répondre de qch – to vouch for something
12) Il ne soucie pas de- he does not care about - he has no regard to
13) colin-tampon a
nothing – a trifle – a thing of no importance –
14) cela saute aux yeux – it sticks out a mile – it’s quite
obvious – you can’t miss it
15) raffolant de – raffoler de means – to be mad about – to be
crazy about- to be wild about
16) fâcheux – upsetting – annoying ie something that is a
nuisance or a pain – disagreeable/ unpleasant – unfortunate/ untoward. I use "bad tempered." It is self-evident that those who, because their clothing has been violently blown about, become very annoyed or angry, will, at that moment at least, be the most bad tempered. This is Brassens' little joke.
The following photo shows two characteristics of the bridge-
the venue for young romance and the unpredictable gusts of wind: