Les fées [English translation]

You could never fall asleep

Without me inventing for your pleasure

Stories of wizards making everything with nothing,

And I was inventing, so you could sleep,

In the room, on rainy evenings,

Crocodiles wearing top hats

And frogs wearing tailcoats,

And an infinity of fairies. x2

There was the fairy with purple eyes

That you look at and disappears,

And the fairy of night winds

That you call but runs away,

And then the fairy in the lagoon

Who delights in cutting up the moon

Into thousands of tiny pieces,

And makes them dance on the water.

And there was the Carabosse fairy,

Who would take you away in her coach,

And you'd whip her hundred horses

Towards the sea at full gallop.

That was when you'd fall asleep.

Me, discreetly, I'd slip away

Cradling my heart with your smile

Full of dreams and memories,

And an infinity of fairies. x2

Then, one day, you had to grow up,

All the fairies had to leave,

With them, the wizards

Making everything with nothing.

But since then, so I can sleep,

In my room, on rainy evenings,

When nights are too boring,

I think about our past days,

And all the infinite fairies

Come back to me.

There was the fairy with purple eyes

That you look at and disappears,

And the fairy of night winds

That you call but runs away,

And then the fairy in the lagoon

Who delights in cutting up the moon

Into thousands of tiny pieces,

And makes them dance on the water.

And there was the Carabosse fairy,

Who went away in her coach,

She whipped her hundred horses

Towards the sea at full gallop.

Children are made to grow up

To walk away towards their future

Leaving behind them laughter

Full of dreams and memories,

And an infinity of fairies. x2

• Artist:Yves Duteil