Does anyone have a translation of the song "La vie en Rose".  A
visceral or true translation, not a literal one.

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Request for Question Clarification by bobbie7-ga on 13 Jun 2005 15:54 PDT

Hello Carkey  ,

I found two versions of the song  ?La vie en rose? in English. Both
can be sung to the original melody.

"The first version (Bob Brozman) is very close to the original in
meaning. This version uses less rhyme than the original, which makes
it easier to stick to the original ideas in English.

The second version is almost a new song from start to finish. The
basic theme "la vie en rose" is maintained along with a few echos of
the original declaration of love. This version is even more romantic
in tone than the original, but probably well-suited to Edith Piaf's
sensibilities."
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Workshop/9176/Songs/rose.html

Would these translations be a suitable answer to your question or are
you looking for something different?

Thanks,
Bobbie7

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Request for Question Clarification by bobbie7-ga on 13 Jun 2005 15:58 PDT

Or would this translation be more on target?
http://www.susandaniel.com/lvr.html#track18

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Clarification of Question by carkey-ga on 13 Jun 2005 16:33 PDT

Thanks for answering so quickly but this is not what I am looking for.
 I have what I refer to as the Hollywood version on a recording by Jo
Stafford.  The Bob Brozman is jazzy and fun but it is just a piece of
the song.
What I am looking for is a translation of the whole song which
captures the true essense and meaning of the words and phrases.

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Clarification of Question by carkey-ga on 13 Jun 2005 16:47 PDT

Hi, bobbie7-ga
Sorry, I quess I missed the second posting while I was answering the first.

This is almost there, but towards the end the verses are different
than the original Piaff song, but this is as close as I have come to
what I am looking for, so far.

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Request for Question Clarification by scriptor-ga on 13 Jun 2005 17:10 PDT

Dear carkey,

How about these English lyrics? They have been written by Mack David,
and Edith Piaf used them when she recorded the English version of "La
vie en rose" for Columbia Records in 1950. If Mme. Piaf accepted these
lyrics instead of the original French words she wrote herself, this
seems to indicate that she considered the English version to reflect
what she indended to express:

Hold me close and hold me fast 
The magic spell you cast 
This is la vie en rose 
When you kiss me, Heaven sighs 
And though I close my eyes 
I see la vie en rose 
When you press me to your heart 
I'm in a world apart 
A world where roses bloom 
And when you speak 
Angels sing from above 
Every day words 
Seem to turn into love songs 
Give your heart and soul to me 
And life will always be 
La vie en rose 


I thought that love was just a word 
They sang about in songs I heard 
It took your kisses to reveal 
That I was wrong, and love is real 


Hold me close and hold me fast 
The magic spell you cast 
This is la vie en rose 
When you kiss me, Heaven sighs 
And though I close my eyes 
I see la vie en rose 
When you press me to your heart 
I'm in a world apart 
A world where roses bloom 
And when you speak 
Angels sing from above 
Every day words 
Seem to turn into love songs 
Give your heart and soul to me 
And life will always be 
La vie en rose

Regards,
Scriptor

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Clarification of Question by carkey-ga on 13 Jun 2005 18:07 PDT

Hi Scriptor
This is the same translation Bobbie7 sent earlier that, as I said, I
already have on a recording by Jo Stafford.
I am not looking for an english song of La vie en Rose, but rather a
translation of the original song with all the idiom and nuance.

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 13 Jun 2005 19:14 PDT

I am having difficulty understanding what you need here. In your
original question you said you did not want a literal translation. But
how can "all the idiom and nuance" be present in lyrics that have been
rewritten in such a way that the meter and rhyme are preserved? I have
translated poetry from French to English, and vice versa, and it is
often the case that the most beautiful poetic translation is far from
the original, and may use few of the author's images. A literal,
word-for-word translation usually will give you something more nearly
resembling the author's vision of the work, but such translations
often sound thudding and awkward. It is very rare to find something
which is both accurate and aesthetically pleasing.

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Clarification of Question by carkey-ga on 13 Jun 2005 20:38 PDT

Dear pinkfreud,

I am sorry I am being unclear, but Webster defines a literal
translation as "word for word, verbatim"  When I look for a transltion
I either get what I consider a literal translation
Des nuits d'amour a ne plus en finir
Un grand bonheur qui prend sa place

translated

Nights of love has to more finish
of it a great happiness which takes its place


Then there are the flowery song versions
that have nothing to do with the original song, IE;
And when you speak, angels sing from above
Everyday words seem to turn into love songs

The emotion of the song I feel, the candence I hear, I would just like
to understand as close as possible what the words or expressions mean
that I can't translate not knowing the idiom and nuance.

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 13 Jun 2005 20:46 PDT

So you want a translation that is in conversational English, but not
necessarily in singable meter?

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Clarification of Question by carkey-ga on 15 Jun 2005 13:09 PDT

You got it.

hiya! I think maybe this will help? I loked at this webpage
http://www.susandaniel.com/lvr.html#track18 and did a line by line
comparrison of the origonal french text... it's pretty close until the
very end. You had mentioned that aleady. It doesn't repeat the Chorus
the 2nd time (but the words are the same) and with some changes make
it more understandable (conversational English I think?). I very much
agree with the author of the webpage in *most* places but not for
conversational English; here goes-somebody correct me if I am goofing
up here... I am self-taught at French.

"life in shades of perfection"

Your eyes, they make me lower mine,
and your laugh touches your smile.
This is his portrait,
this is the man that I belong to.

(Chorus)
When he takes me in his arms,
he wispers "see life in shades of perfection".
His words of love, are everyday words.
It has changed me, and made me very happy.
We are made for each other, he swaers it is so.
As I come to know it, my heart races.

We share such nights of love;
we make each other so happy.
We erase each others hurts and bores.

(Chorus)
When he takes me in his arms,
he wispers "see life in shades of perfection".
His words of love, are everyday words.
It has changed me, and made me very happy.
We are made for each other, he swaers it is so.
As I come to know it, my heart races.

Thats the end.

I speak fluent French and know the song well.  Here's a pretty good translation:

(first verse)

Eyes that make me lower mine.
A laugh that dissipates on his lips
This is the unretouched portrait
Of the man to whom I belong.

(chorus)

When he takes me in his arms
He speaks to me softly
And life seems perfect to me (A good translation of "Je vois la vie en rose")
He utters words of love to me
Everyday words
And it touches me inside

He has brought a bit
of happiness into my heart
And I know the cause.

It's him for me, me for him, all our lives
He told me so, swore it, for all our lives

And the moment I laid eyes on him
Right then I felt inside me
My beating heart.

(Second Verse)

Nights of love that never end
A great joy takes hold
Annoyances and sorrows disappear
Happy, so happy I could die.

(Repeats chorus)

This is what I wanted.  Thank you.