GRAND-PÈRE-Brassens at his rudest and most irreverent as he rages against social inequality

This is a song of Brassens, the social reformer and with its violent element also of Brassens, the anarchist.  His attitude was shaped by the straitened circumstances of the, nevertheless, happy family home of his childhood, when money had been in short supply.  Brassens’ song about the marriage of his parents "La Marche Nuptiale"tells the same story of a humble family fighting for its dignity.

GRAND-PÈRE Grand-père suivait en chantant La route qui mène à cent ans. La mort lui fit, au coin d'un bois, L' coup du pèr' François.(1) L'avait donné de son vivant Tant de bonheur à ses enfants Qu'on fit, pour lui en savoir gré,(2) Tout pour l'enterrer Et l'on courut à toutes jam- -bes quérir une bière, mais... Comme on était léger d'argent(3), Le marchand nous reçut à bras fermés.(4) "Chez l'épicier, pas d'argent, pas d'épices, Chez la belle Suzon, pas d'argent, pas de cuisse...(5) Les morts de basse condition C'est pas de ma juridiction." Or, j'avais hérité d' grand-père Un' pair' de bott's pointues S'il y a des coups d' pied què'que part qui s' perdent,(6) C'lui-là toucha(7) son but C'est depuis ce temps-là que le bon apôtre(8) C'est depuis ce temps-là que le bon apôtre Ah ! c'est pas joli... Ah ! c'est pas poli... A un' fess' qui dit merde à l'autre(9) Bon papa(10), Ne t'en fais pas: Nous en viendrons À bout de (11) tous ces empêcheurs d'enterrer en rond(12) Le mieux à faire et le plus court, Pour qu' l'enterrement suivît son cours, Fut de borner nos prétentions À un' bièr' d'occasion.(13) Contre un pot de miel (14) on acquit Les quatre planches d'un mort qui Rêvait d'offrir quelques douceurs À une âme soeur. Et l'on courut à toutes jam- -bes quérir un corbillard, mais... Comme on était léger d'argent, Le marchand nous reçut à bras fermés. "Chez l'épicier, pas d'argent, pas d'épices, Chez la belle Suzon, pas d'argent, pas de cuisse... Les morts de basse condition, C'est pas de ma juridiction." Ma bott' partit, mais je m' refuse De dir' vers quel endroit, Ça rendrait les dames confuses Et je n'en ai pas le droit C'est depuis ce temps-là que le bon apôtre C'est depuis ce temps-là que le bon apôtre Ah ! c'est pas joli... Ah ! c'est pas poli... A un' fess' qui dit merde à l'autre Bon papa, Ne t'en fais pas Nous en viendrons À bout de tous ces empêcheurs d'enterrer en rond Le mieux à faire et le plus court, Pour qu' l'enterrement suivît son cours, Fut de porter sur notre dos L' funèbre fardeau. S'il eût pu revivre un instant, Grand-père aurait été content D'aller à sa dernièr' demeur' Comme un empereur. Et l'on courut à toutes jam- -bes quérir un goupillon(15), mais... Comme on était léger d'argent, Le marchand  nous reçut à bras fermés. "Chez l'épicier, pas d'argent, pas d'épices, Chez la belle Suzon, pas d'argent, pas de cuisse... Les morts de basse condition, C'est pas de ma bénédiction." Avant même que le vicaire(16) Ait pu lâcher un cri, J' lui bottai l' cul au nom du Pèr', Du Fils et du Saint-Esprit. C'est depuis ce temps-là que le bon apôtre C'est depuis ce temps-là que le bon apôtre Ah ! c'est pas joli... Ah ! c'est pas poli... A un' fess' qui dit merde à l'autre. Bon papa, Ne t'en fais pas: Nous en viendrons À bout de tous ces empêcheurs d'enterrer en rond À bout de tous ces empêcheurs d'enterrer en rond Georges Brassens  (1957 - Je me suis fait tout petit, 7)

Grandpa walked the road, singing, That leads to his hundred years. Death sneaked on him down in the woods And snuffed him out short. He had given in his life time Such happiness to his children That, gratefully, they did their all For his funeral. And they ran fast as legs would Take them to get a coffin, but As they’d little ready money The man who dealt in them turned them right down. "At the grocers, no money, no groceries At fair Susie’s house, no money, no fun … Deaths low on the social scale Aren’t under my jurisdiction.” Now, I’d inherited from Grandad A pair of pointy boots If there are kicks up the bum somewhere done on the quiet This pair was just the job. The coffin maker has had ever since This same fine fellow has had ever since Ah, it is not nice Ah, it’s not polite A very twisted bum which makes him wince. Kind grandpa Don't get upset We will manage to Sort out those who stand in the way Of burials due The best thing to do and quickest So the funeral might be carried out Was to limit our requirements To a second hand coffin We acquired for a jar of honey Four planks from a dead man who Dreamt of giving some sweet things To a great soul-mate. And we ran fast as legs would Take us to get a hearse, but As we’d little ready money The man who dealt in them turned us right down "At the grocers, no money, no groceries At fair Susie’s house, no money, no fun … Deaths low on the social scale Are not in my jurisdiction.” My boot lashed out,  but I refuse To tell the spot aimed at T’would embarrass the ladies And I don’t have the right to And the fine fellow has had ever since And the fine fellow has had ever since Ah, it is not nice Ah, it’s not polite A very twisted bum which makes him wince. Kind grandpa Don't get upset We will manage to Sort out those who stand in the way of burials due The very best way and the quickest So the funeral might follow its course Was to carry on our backs The funeral burden. If he could’ve come back to life a bit Grandfather would have been content To go to his final place of rest Just like an emperor And we ran at full speed to get A  holy water sprinkler, but As we’d little ready money The man who dealt in them turned us right down. "At the grocers, no money, no groceries At fair Susie’s house, no money, no fun … Deaths low on the social scale Are not in my benediction.” Even before the curate Could give forth a cry I kicked his arse in name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And the fine fellow has had ever since And the fine fellow has had ever since Ah, it is not nice Ah, it’s not polite A very twisted bum which makes him wince. Kind grandpa Don't get upset We will manage to Sort out those who stand in the way Of burials due Sort out those who stand in the way Of burials due

Translation notes

1)     Faire le coup du père francais – He compares the sudden, severe stroke that killed his grandfather, with symptoms, no doubt, of fighting for breath, to a mortal attack by notorious French street robbers.
     
The dictionary, Reverso tells their story : Originally, in the course of the second half of the 19th century, the real « coup du père François » could only be carried out if there were two scoundrels, whose aim was to relieve of his money the average citizen, who had the audacity and imprudence to walk out at night in ill-lit streets.
The crime was carried out in the following manner: the first of the attackers would get into conversation with the stroller, with some everyday remark such as asking for a light or asking the time.   The accomplice, armed with a belt to form a slip knot, came up from behind to strangle the victim, while he retained the back of the victim against his own back. The latter, with his feet of the ground was like a sack of potatoes, struggling to breathe and to free himself from the noose,   All the while the man at the front was free to rummage through and empty his pockets.  When the theft was completed, the victim was generally in a very bad state, although not necessarily dead.  The partners in crime would then recuperate the belt they had used and make off.

2)     Pour lui en savoir gré - savoir gré à quelqu’un de quelque chose means to show some-one gratitude for something. 

3)     Léger d’argent – my French dictionary quotes “Abîmé de dettes et léger d'argent ».  Léger can mean in short supply

4)     Reçut à bras fermés – Brassens is using the opposite of the common expression: “recevoir à bras ouverts” to welcome with open arms

5)     Chez la belle Suzon, pas d'argent, pas de cuisse. « Cuisse » means « thigh » because what the lovely Susie had to sell was her body.
 

6)     Des coups de pied quelque part qui se perdent- se perdre has an idiomatic use.  The dictionary says that an act « qui se perd », is an act which is committed with impunity.  I n modern English we talk of things “passing under the radar”.

7)     Toucha  son but - We are reminded that “toucher” also has the sense of “to hit one’s target” –hence the cry in fencing: “touché!”

8)     le bon apôtre – Apôtre means apostle  However the word is sometimes used ironically for some-one who does not live up to the standards pretended.  My translation - “fine fellow”-  is meant to be ironical

9)     Il a un' fess' qui dit merde à l'autre.  Brassens gives this line a build up as « not nice" and "impolite ».  This phrase is making a play on the awful expression: “Il a un oeil qui dit merde  à l’autre”, which means “He is cross-eyed”.  In Brassens’ version “merde” may seem to have reference to the physical locality. But in the original’ it would seem to have its normal colloquial usage to express surprise or pain.  The translation should therefore describe a permanently deformed bottom, associated with pain and should shock the reader or listener.  Not easy!  To restore the emphasis that I have lost , I have added a rhyme.

10)  Bon Papa – In those days “Bon Papa” was a way of saying « Grandad »

11)  Nous en viendrons à bout de – « Venir à bout de quelque chose » means to manage to overcome something

12)  Tous ces empêcheurs d'enterrer en rond.  The expression « les empêcheurs de tourner/danser en rond » means the spoil-sports –.   The expression is applied to people who gratuitously stop you doing what you are fully entitled to do.

13)  Une bière d’occasion. In those days, we are told , planks from previously used coffins were on sale in cemeteries in France by the common graves.  I am puzzled how the dead people came to vacate their coffins!  I haven't the heart to research such a grim subject but I guess that some corpses buried in a common grave were emptied from the coffin first so that it or its timber could be resold, 

14)  Un pot de miel….offrir….à une âme soeur  - The strange story is told that the Brassens family bought the second-hand coffin from the family of a man who had recently died. The latter had stipulated that the price obtained for these boards would have to be to enough to buy a jar of honey. This honey  was to be be given to his great soul-mate.  

15)  Ça rendrait les dames confuses – as a modern languages teacher, I used to irritate my classes, so they told me, by talking about « faux amis ».  The word “confus” was one on my list.  In fact “confus has two meanings in French and one is the same meaning as in English – un esprit confus is a confused mind.  However”confus” is a faux ami because the French also use it in a sense not given to the word in English –it often means, as here, embarrassed/ashamed.  He would have embarrassed the ladies by this final line, but he would not not have confused them, if he had said frankly that he landed his pointed boot up the arse of each of the “apostles”.

16)  Un goupillon in Church use is a sprinkler of holy water.  In domestic use, it is brush for cleaning jars

17)  Le vicaire is the curate – the assistant priest to the curé.  The word “vicar”, as used in the Anglican church is priest in charge of the Parish and thus would translate as curé, if it needed to be translated into French.  It is perhaps deliberate that Brassens makes it a lesser priest, who behaves so badly in his story.

Please click here to return to the alphabetical list of my Brassens selection

http://dbarf.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/alphabetical-list-of-my-brassens-songs.html

Brave Margot - A heart-breaking tale of a shepherdess, who adopts a lost kitten

This is a very well-known song with a catchy chorus that people enjoy singing.  The story is set in a rustic France whose way of life was characterised by joie de vivre and in British eyes with a lot of harmless naughtiness.  

Cat lovers need consoling that it is only a made-up story.

Brave Margot Margoton la jeune bergère Trouvant dans l'herbe un petit chat Qui venait de perdre sa mère L'adopta Elle entrouvre sa collerette(1) Et le couche contre son sein C'était tout c' qu'elle avait, pauvrette, Comm' coussin Le chat la prenant pour sa mère Se mit à téter tout de go(2) Émue, Margot le laissa faire Brav' Margot Un croquant passant à la ronde(3) Trouvant le tableau(4) peu commun S'en alla le dire à tout l' monde Et le lendemain (Chorus) Quand Margot dégrafait son corsage Pour donner la gougoutte(5) à son chat Tous les gars, tous les gars du village Étaient là, la la la la la la Étaient là, la la la la la Et Margot qu'était simple et très sage Présumait qu' c'était pour voir son chat Qu'tous les gars, qu'tous les gars du village Étaient là, la la la la la la Étaient là, la la la la la L' maître d'école et ses potaches Le mair', le bedeau, le bougnat(6) Négligeaient carrément leur tâche Pour voir ça Le facteur d'ordinair' si preste(7) Pour voir ça, ne distribuait plus Les lettres que personne au reste N'aurait lues Pour voir ça, Dieu le leur pardonne, Les enfants de chœur au milieu Du saint sacrifice(8) abandonnent Le saint lieu Les gendarmes, mêm' les gendarmes Qui sont par natur' si ballots(9) Se laissaient toucher par les charmes Du joli tableau Chorus Quand Margot dégrafait son corsage Pour donner la gougoutte(3) à son chat Tous les gars, tous les gars du village Étaient là, la la la la la la Étaient là, la la la la la Et Margot qu'était simple et très sage Présumait qu' c'était pour voir son chat Qu'tous les gars, qu'tous les gars du village Étaient là, la la la la la la Étaient là, la la la la la Mais les autr’s femm’s de la commune Privées d’leurs époux, d’leurs galants, Accumulèrent la rancune Patiemment… Puis un jour, ivres de colère(10), Elles s’armèrent de bâtons Et, farouches, elles immolèrent(11) Le chaton… La bergère, après bien des larmes Pour s’consoler prit un mari Et ne dévoila plus ses charmes Que pour lui… Le temps passa sur les mémoires, On oublia l’événement, Seuls des vieux racontent encore À leurs p’tits enfants… (Chorus) Quand Margot dégrafait son corsage Pour donner la gougoutte(3) à son chat Tous les gars, tous les gars du village Étaient là, la la la la la la Étaient là, la la la la la Et Margot qu'était simple et très sage Présumait qu' c'était pour voir son chat Qu'tous les gars, qu'tous les gars du village Étaient là, la la la la la la Étaient là, la la la la la (1954 – (Les amoureux des bancs publics 2).

Kind-hearted Margot Li’l Margot the young shepherdess Finding in the grass a small cat Which had got lost from his mother Adopted him She half opens her dress collar And lays him up against her breast It was all that she’d got, poor girl, For a pillow. The cat, thinking her his mother Started to suckle straight away Thrilled, Margot let him carry on Kind Margot An oafish man walking around Finding the tableau unusual Went to tell everyone the tale And the day after (Chorus) When Margot was undoing her blouse To give her cat its drop of milk All of the lads of the village, Were out there, la la la la la la Were out there, la la la la la And Margot, a simple, very good girl Presumed it was to see her cat That all the lads of the village, Were there, la la la la la la Were there, la la la la la The school teacher and his pupils The mayor, the beadle, the coalman Flagrantly neglected their work To see this. The postman, normally so prompt To see this, stopped delivering The mail that, besides, no-body Would have read. To see this, may God forgive them, The altar boys right at the height Of the Holy Sacrifice sneak off From God’s house. The gendarmes, even the gendarmes, Who are, by nature, so cumbrous Let themselves be touched by the charms O’the pretty tableau. (Chorus) When Margot was undoing her blouse To give her cat its drop of milk All of the lads of the village, Were out there, la la la la la la Were out there, la la la la la And Margot, a simple, very good girl Presumed it was to see her cat That all the lads of the village, Were there, la la la la la la Were there, la la la la la But the other women of the district Deprived of husbands or boyfriends, Built up their resentment Patiently … Then one day, vicious with anger, They armed themselves with staves And ferociously slayed The small cat … The shepherdess, after much weeping, So to console herself, got wed And ne’er again revealed her charms But for him … Time passed over the memories; The happenings were forgotten; Just some old men still tell the tale To their grandchildren … (Chorus) When Margot was undoing her blouse To give her cat its drop of milk All of the lads of the village, Were out there, la la la la la la Were out there, la la la la la And Margot, a simple, very good girl Presumed it was to see her cat That all the lads of the village, Were there, la la la la la la Were there, la la la la la

Translation Notes

1)     Collerette- Larousse tells us that this is a little round collar, often pleated, made of fine linen

2)     Le chat se mit à téter tout de go.  This fact gives us a problem.  If the young shepherdess has milk in her breasts, she must be a nursing mother and we find out later that she was not then married.  From this it would appear that she is not so “sage” in the French sense ( not such a good girl) and perhaps not so young.

On the other hand it is important for the poem that the shepherdess is young and innocent.  Perhaps the answer is that Brassens is being very relaxed about human biology for the sake of his tale.

3)     A la ronde= around -  for example «  à des kilomètres à la ronde » translates as  « for miles around »

4)     Le tableau : We would normally translate the word « tableau » as “picture” and this would be acceptable  here, but its meaning in French is also “theatrical scene” and   the French word is used in English.  The dictionary defines “ tableau » in English as: “an arrangement of people who do not move or speak, especially on a stage, who represent a view of life, an event, etc.”.

5)     Le bougnat – Larousse tells us that this word refers to a coal merchant.

6)     La gougoutte : is baby talk for « la goutte » - the drop (of water etc).

7)     Preste – Robert translates this as “nimble”.  It describes speed of movement and as an interjection “preste!” means “hurry up!”  I suppose that is why British magicians say “Hey presto!”

8)     Au milieu du saint sacrifice – thus at the climax of the mass.

9)     Ballot :  in correct speech this means parcel/ package.  Robert says that this is a noun in familiar speech meaning “nitwit”.  The basic idea seems to be heavy and plodding of movement. The idea of policemen being like a parcel seems to link with the policeman image in the children’s story, where he is “Mr Plod – the policeman”.

10)  Ivres de colère – the most common translation for « ivre » is drunk/ intoxicated but it also means in the grip of extreme passions hence: ivre de joie= wild with joy, ivre de sang= thirsting for blood.

11)  Larousse tells us that immoler is to offer an animal or a human being as a sacrifice/to put to death/massacre.

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This Russian version of the song by the talented Alexandre Avanessov has some charming and amusing illustrations