Les comédiens [English translation]

Come and see the actors,

See the musicians,

See the magicians,

Who are arriving.

Come and see the actors,

See the musicians,

See the magicians,

Who are arriving.

The actors installed their boards.

They raised their rostrum

And stretched calicos.

The actors travelled across the neighbourhoods.

They paraded

Along with the drums.

Before the church, there is a green-painted caravan

Beside the chairs of an open air theatre

And the actors, like a wild procession,

Attract the country people as they pass by.

Come and see the actors,

See the musicians,

See the magicians,

Who are arriving.

Come and see the actors,

See the musicians,

See the magicians,

Who are arriving.

If you want to see scoundrels be foiled

In a little sad story

That ends well,

If you enjoy seeing lovers shudder,

Feeling sorry for Baptiste,

Or laughing with the happy,

Then shove the piece of canvas, come in and take a seat

Under the stars, the curtain is going to rise.

When the three knocks resound through the night

The actors will come back to life.

Come and see the actors,

See the musicians,

See the magicians,

Who are arriving.

Come and see the actors,

See the musicians,

See the magicians,

Who are arriving.

The actors disassembled their boards.

They removed their rostrum

And folded the calicos.

They have left in the bottom of the hearts

A little bit of serenade

And harlequin happiness.

Tomorrow morning, when the sun rises

They will be far away, and we will think it was all a dream.

But for now, the actors are travelling through the night

Across other sleepy villages.

Come and see the actors,

See the musicians,

See the magicians,

Who are arriving.

Come and see the actors,

See the musicians,

See the magicians,

Who are arriving.

• Artist:Charles Aznavour