C’était l’hiver [English translation]

She used to say: "I have already walked too far,

my heart is too full with secrets,

too full with pain."

She used to say: "I won't continue anymore,

for what's waiting for me, I have already experienced

and it's means just more pain."

She used to say that to live is cruel

she wasn't believing in the sun

or in the silence of the churches anymore

the same with my smiles, they were scaring her

It has been winter at the bottome of her heart

The wind has never been colder

the rain never much stronger than this evening there

the evening of her twentieth year

the evening where she put out the fire

behind the mask of her eyes

in a white flash

She has certainly gone to heaven

she glowes next to the sun

like new churches

But since this evening there I'm crying

because since then it's cold

at the bottom of my heart

it's just a try, my translation, I have no idea if it's at least halfway correct.

• Artist:Francis Cabrel
• Album:Les Chemins de traverse (1971)