Eblouie par la nuit – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: ZAZ
• Album: Isa

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of French music with Zaz's "Éblouie par la nuit." This song offers a beautiful glimpse into French artistry, allowing you to connect with emotions and stories through its evocative melody and Zaz's soulful voice. It's a perfect entry point to appreciating the nuances of the French language and the heartfelt expression found in French chanson.

[English]

Dazzled by the night with deadly light

Almost touching the cars, eyes like pinheads

I waited for you 100 years in black and white streets

You came whistling

Dazzled by the night with deadly light

Shooting cans as lost as a ship adrift

If I lost my mind, I loved you—even worse

You came whistling

Dazzled by the night with deadly light

Should we love life, or just watch it pass by?

From our smoky nights, there's almost nothing left

But your ashes at dawn

In this subway filled with the vertigo of life

At the next station, little European

Take your hand, lay it below my heart

Dazzled by the night with deadly light

One last lap with the hand at the end

I waited for you 100 years in black and white streets

You came whistling

...

[French]

Éblouie par la nuit à coup de lumière mortelle

À frôler les bagnoles, les yeux comme des têtes d'épingle

J't'ai attendu 100 ans dans les rues en noir et blanc

Tu es venu en sifflant

Éblouie par la nuit à coup de lumière mortelle

À shooter les canettes aussi paumées qu'un navire

Si j'en ai perdu la tête j't'ai aimé et même pire

Tu es venu en sifflant

Éblouie par la nuit à coup de lumière mortelle

Faut-il aimer la vie ou la regarder juste passer?

De nos nuits de fumette, il ne reste presque rien

Que tes cendres au matin

À ce métro rempli des vertiges de la vie

À la prochaine station, petit européen

Mets ta main, descends-la au-dessous de mon cœur

Éblouie par la nuit à coup de lumière mortelle

Un dernier tour de piste avec la main au bout

J't'ai attendu 100 ans dans les rues en noir et blanc

Tu es venu en sifflant

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
éblouie /eb.lu.i/ B2	adjective - dazzled
nuit /nɥi/ A1	noun - night
lumière /ly.mjɛʁ/ A2	noun - light
mortelle /mɔʁ.tɛl/ B2	adjective - deadly
regarder /ʁə.ɡaʁ.de/ A2	verb - to look at
cœur /kœʁ/ A2	noun - heart
rues /ʁy/ A1	noun - streets
canettes /ka.nɛt/ B1	noun - cans
aimer /e.me/ A1	verb - to love
vertiges /vɛʁ.tiʒ/ B2	noun - dizziness
station /sta.sjɔ̃/ A2	noun - station
européen /ø.ʁo.pe.ɛ̃/ B1	adjective - European
attendu /a.tɑ̃.dy/ B1	verb - waited
piste /pist/ B2	noun - track
paumées /po.me/ B2	adjective - lost

Key Grammar Structures

• Éblouie par la nuit à coup de lumière mortelle

  ➔ Passive Voice with "par"

  ➔ "Éblouie par la nuit" means "Dazzled by the night." The structure 'être + past participle + par' indicates the passive voice, specifying the agent causing the action. "à coup de lumière mortelle" means 'with deadly light.'

• Les yeux comme des têtes d'épingle

  ➔ Comparison using "comme"

  ➔ This line uses "comme" to make a comparison. "Les yeux comme des têtes d'épingle" means "Eyes like pinheads," indicating very small pupils, perhaps due to drugs or intense focus.

• J't'ai attendu 100 ans dans les rues en noir et blanc

  ➔ Pronoun Contraction (J't')

  ➔ "J't'ai attendu" is a contraction of "Je t'ai attendu", meaning "I waited for you". This is common in informal French.

• Si j'en ai perdu la tête j't'ai aimé et même pire

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (implied)

  ➔ Even though not explicitly used, the sentence implies a condition, and "si" often precedes sentences in the subjunctive mood. While technically in indicative, the 'si' suggests a hypothetical situation. "Si j'en ai perdu la tête" which translates to 'If I lost my head,' hints that there is a doubt about having 'lost' one's head.

• Faut-il aimer la vie ou la regarder juste passer?

  ➔ Impersonal verb "falloir" in interrogative form

  ➔ "Faut-il" is the interrogative form of the impersonal verb "falloir", meaning "Is it necessary to..." or "Should one...?". It introduces a philosophical question about whether one should love life or simply watch it pass.

• Que tes cendres au matin

  ➔ Ellipsis

  ➔ This is an example of ellipsis, where words are omitted but understood. The full sentence might be something like "Il ne reste que tes cendres au matin" (Only your ashes remain in the morning).

• Mets ta main, descends-la au-dessous de mon cœur

  ➔ Imperative with Pronoun

  ➔ "Mets ta main" (Put your hand) is an imperative. "Descends-la" (Lower it) is also an imperative with the pronoun "la" referring to "ta main".

• Un dernier tour de piste avec la main au bout

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ "avec la main au bout" is a prepositional phrase, meaning "with the hand at the end" or "with the hand extended." The preposition "avec" introduces a phrase describing a circumstance or manner.