Le Chevalier de Paris [English translation]

The great knight from Paris heart

Could not recall the taste of leas.

He waged war with his friends

Amidst the smoke

Amidst the subway trains

Amidst the cobblestones

Amidst the bistrots.

He did not realize that made him drunk

He did not realize he was asleep on his feet.

Paris held him by the scruff of the neck.

Ah! The apple trees so sweet,

round dances and merry songs.

I don't fear no wolf,

hummed the fair lass.

They are not mean

to the children

with faithful hearts

and fair knees...

Under a sweet apple tree he came to meet her,

coming across the sun along with the dew.

Long live the songs for the sweethearts.

I remember her with her velvet blood1.

These hands of hers spoke of love

she wove together clay and clouds

and pressed the wind against her face

to squeeze out the journeys' essence2.

Ah! The apple trees so sweet,

round dances and merry songs.

I don't fear no wolf,

hummed the fair lass.

They are not mean

to the children

with faithful hearts

and fair knees...

"Farewell, my Paris" said the knight

"I slept for a hundred years, on my feet, without eating

the silver apples of my sweet trees".

The village let out such a scream then

that all the girls ran outside.

But the knight waved to noone but her,

with her velvet blood, her heart so true,

Sir Knight will only dress to kill3

1. the "velvet blood" might refer to "Perceval le Gallois", a chivalry tale fom 11th century where the knight Parsifal sees three drops of blood on the snow that remind him of the red cheeks and fair skin of his betrothed2. I don't really know what she means by that. There is no related idiomatic expression as far as I can tell3. lit. "will wage the lace war".

"guerre en dentelles" (lit. "war wearing laces") means the way of waging war in the 17th-18th century, with elaboralety decorated uniforms and very formal rules of fighting.

Not the same meaning as "lace wars" in English, so I changed for another idiom

• Artist:Édith Piaf