La marche nuptiale [English translation]

Marriage for love, mariage for money

I've seen all sorts of people get married:

People of low birth and the great ones of the world,

so-called hardressers, and self-styled notaries...

Even if I live until the end of time

I shall always keep the happy memory

Of the day of a poor people's wedding when my father and my mother

Took themselves off to be married before Mister Mayor.

It was in an ox-cart, to speak quite frankly,

Pulled by the friends, pushed by the relations,

That the old lovers had their nuptials,

After a long time of love, a long engagement.

A marriage procession not conforming to the norms,

The crowd looked on us with protuding eyes1

We were gazed at by the insigificant crowd

Who had never seen any weddings like this one.

Here's the wind which blows, carryin off, disaster2 !

My father's hat and the children in the choir...

There's the rain that falls very heavily3

As if to prevent the wedding, at any cost.

I shall never forget the bride in tears

Cradling like a doll her big bouquet of flowers...

I, to console her, I, with all my arrogance4

imitating church organs with my harmonica.

All the gentleman ushers5, showing their fists to the clouds6

Were shouting: "By jupiter, the wedding will go on !"

Disparaged by men, impeded by the gods,

The wedding carries on and Long live the bride !

1. their eyes bulged at

the odd sight - but they were friendly2. literally "heartbreak"3. literally "weighing out its drops well"4. could be "pride" but I prefer "arrogance"5. if that were singular - le garçon d'honneur - instead of plural it would mean "the best man" but "all the best men" would make no sense6. ie threatening the clouds with their fists

• Artist:Georges Brassens