Lily [English translation]

She looked rather cute, Lily

She came from Somalia, Lily

in a ship full of immigrants

who all came willingly

to sweep the streets of Paris.

She thought we were all equal, Lily,

in Voltaire and Hugo's country, Lily,

yet on Debussy's keyboard still

white keys outnumber black ones1,

that's quite a difference.

She loved freedom so much, Lily,

she dreamed of brotherhood, Lily,

a hotel clerk in Secrétan street

made it clear to her that coloured people

were not welcome here.

She hauled crates, Lily,

she did all the dirty works, Lily,

she barks to sell her cauliflowers

while in the street her coloured brothers

accompany her on their jackhammers.

And when they called her Snow White, Lily,

she did not fall for the old trick, Lily,

she found it quite amusing,

though she had to grit her teeth,

she would not give them the satisfaction.

She met a handsome blond guy, Lily,

who would gladly have married her, Lily,

but the in-laws-to-be said "we are

anything but racist, still

that kind does not belong here".

She had a go at America, Lily,

this great democratic country, Lily,

she had to see with her own eyes

that the color of despair

was black even there.

Now in a meeting in Memphis, Lily,

she met Angela Davis, Lily,

who said "come, little sister

together we are less frightened.

of the wolves circling the trapper2".

So it is to soothe her fear, Lily,

that she too raises an angry fist, Lily,

among all these crackpots

who burn to the ground

these white-only busses.

Still, amidst your daily strife, Lily,

you will meet a good man, Lily,

and the child who will be born someday

will be the color of love

that nothing can reach.

She looked rather cute, Lily

She came from Somalia, Lily

in a ship full of immigrants

who all came willingly

to sweep the streets of Paris.

1. lit. "you need two quarter notes to make a half note". Quarter notes are called "black" and half notes "white" in French2. I find the metaphor rather strange, picturing the victims as hunters and the oppressors as wolves

• Artist:Pierre Perret
• Album:Lily (1977)