Les loups sont entrés dans Paris [English translation]

Men had lost the taste

For living, and didn't care about anything

About their mothers, brothers, girlfriends

For them, that was only playacting

The sky became wild again

The concrete was eating up the landscape... then

The wolves, ououh! ououououh!

The wolves were far away from Paris

In Croatia, in Germany

The wolves were far away from Paris

I loved your laugh, charming Elvire

The wolves were far away from Paris.

But they do 50 leagues1

A night, in Indian file

As soon as they scent a feast

Of dead corpses on the battlefield

As soon as fear haunts the streets

The wolves are coming along after dark... then

The wolves, ououh! ououououh!

The wolves looked toward Paris

From Croatia, from Germany

The wolves looked toward Paris

You can smile, charming Elvire

The wolves are looking toward Paris.

And that's when came a harsh winter

A hundred congestions in the current news

Closed shutters, one's teeth were chattering with cold

Even in the beautiful districts

And nobody ventured out on night

To brave the snow of boulevards... then

Some wolves, ououh! ououououh!

Some wolves entered Paris

One by Issy, the other one by Ivry2

Two wolves entered Paris

Ah you can laugh, charming Elvire

Two wolves entered Paris

The first wolf had but one eye

He was an old male from Krivoï

He settled down his ten females

In the thin square of Grenelle

And nourished his two hundred youngs

With the children of Passy3... then

A hundred wolves, ououh! ououououh!

A hundred wolves entered Paris

Either by Issy, or by Ivry

A hundred wolves entered Paris

Stop laughing, charming Elvire

A hundred wolves entered Paris

The second wolf had but three paws

He was a grey wolf from the Carpathians

That they called Lent-Taking

He made his youngs eat meat4

And offered them six ministries

And all the pounds' guards... then

The wolves, ououh! ououououh!

The wolves invaded Paris

Either by Issy, or by Ivry

The wolves invaded Paris

Stop laughing, charming Elvire

The wolves invaded Paris.

Enticed by the smell of blood

A huge amount of wolves came5

To enjoy the feast and the meat6

In this rotten country of France

Until men recovered

Love and brotherhood... then

The wolves ououh! ououououh!

The wolves went out of Paris

Either by Issy, or by Ivry

The wolves went out of Paris

You can smile, charming Elvire

The wolves went out of Paris

I like your laugh, charming Elvire

The wolves went out of Paris...

1. 1 lieue = an ancient measurement of distance = 4 kilometers2. Funny alternative for "soit par ici, soit par là" (either by here or by there). Issy and Ivry are two of the gates of Paris3. Passy is both a district of Paris (16th) and a metropolitain station in this district4. "faire gras" (literally: "to do fat") means that you eat some meat on days of abstinence (especially during Lent), in the Catholic tradition5. literally they came by thousands and by hundreds (it's an idiom)6. these are idioms, faire carousse = to get drunk, faire liesse = to enjoy and faire bombance = to have a feast, to eat a lot

• Artist:Serge Reggiani