Heureux celui qui meurt d'aimer – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Jean Ferrat

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the beauty of the French language through Jean Ferrat's "Heureux celui qui meurt d'aimer." This song, set to a poem by Louis Aragon, offers a poetic and emotional journey into the heart of passionate love. By listening, you can immerse yourself in evocative French lyrics, appreciating the lyrical phrasing and the deep sentiments conveyed, making it a special way to connect with the language.

[English]

Oh my garden of fresh water and shadow

My dance of being my dark heart

My sky of countless stars

My distant boat gentle to row

Happy is the one who goes deaf

To the song if it’s not of their love

Blind to the day following their day

With their eyes closed only for you

Happy is the one who dies loving

Happy is the one who dies loving

Loving so fiercely with lips sealed

That they need nothing else

Except the memory of roses

Forever fragrant with you

The one who dies even in pain

To whom, without you, the world is a lie

And only keeps your colors

It’s enough that they’ve called you by name

Happy is the one who dies loving

Happy is the one who dies loving

My child, says my dear soul

The time to know you, oh woman

Eternity is just a prayer

Burned by the fire consuming me

He said, oh woman, and kept silent

The name that’s like embers

Red as strawberries on the lips

Forever shaped within his teeth

Happy is the one who dies loving

Happy is the one who dies loving

He said, oh woman, and it ends

Thus life, thus dream

Whether on the quay

Or in the usual bed

Young lovers, it's your age

Between the dance and the journey

Foolish one who thinks he's wise

Cry out to whom you will blame

Happy is the one who dies loving

Happy is the one who dies loving

...

[French]

Ô mon jardin d'eau fraîche et d'ombre

Ma danse d'être mon coeur sombre

Mon ciel des étoiles sans nombre

Ma barque au loin douce à ramer

Heureux celui qui devient sourd

Au chant s'il n'est de son amour

Aveugle au jour d'après son jour

Ses yeux sur toi seule fermés

Heureux celui qui meurt d'aimer

Heureux celui qui meurt d'aimer

D'aimer si fort ses lèvres closes

Qu'il n'ait besoin de nulle chose

Hormis le souvenir des roses

À jamais de toi parfumées

Celui qui meurt même à douleur

À qui sans toi le monde est leurre

Et n'en retient que tes couleurs

Il lui suffit qu'il t'ait nommée

Heureux celui qui meurt d'aimer

Heureux celui qui meurt d'aimer

Mon enfant dit-il ma chère âme

Le temps de te connaître ô femme

L'éternité n'est qu'une pâme

Au feu don't je suis consumé

Il a dit ô femme et qu'il taise

Le nom qui ressemble à la braise

À la bouche rouge à la fraise

À jamais dans ses dents formée

Heureux celui qui meurt d'aimer

Heureux celui qui meurt d'aimer

Il a dit ô femme et s'achève

Ainsi la vie, ainsi le rêve

Et soit sur la place de grève

Ou dans le lit accoutumé

Jeunes amants vous dont c'est l'âge

Entre la ronde et le voyage

Fou s'épargnant qui se croit sage

Criez à qui vous veut blâmer

Heureux celui qui meurt d'aimer

Heureux celui qui meurt d'aimer

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
jardin /ʒaʁ.dɛ̃/ B1	noun - garden
danse /dɑ̃s/ A2	noun - dance
ciel /sjɛl/ B1	noun - sky
étoiles /etwal/ B1	noun - stars
barque /baʁk/ B2	noun - boat, small ship
heureux /œʁœ/ B1	adjective - happy, fortunate
sourd /suʁd/ B2	adjective - deaf
amour /a.muʁ/ A2	noun - love
visage /vi.zaʒ/ B2	noun - face
feu /fø/ B2	noun - fire
braise /bʁɛz/ C2	noun - embers, glowing ashes
nommée /nɔ.me/ C1	verb (past participle) - named, called
rêve /ʁɛv/ B2	noun - dream
place /plas/ A2	noun - place, square
lit /li/ A2	noun - bed
amants /amɑ̃/ B2	noun - lovers

Key Grammar Structures

• Ce qui est important ici est l'utilisation du pronom relatif "qui" dans "Heureux celui qui meurt d'aimer".

  ➔ Use of relative pronoun "qui" to connect clauses and introduce a subordinate clause.

  ➔ The word "qui" is a relative pronoun meaning "who" or "that" in French, used here to introduce a subordinate clause describing "celui" (the one).

• In "Le temps de te connaître," the verb "connaître" is in the infinitive form following "de".

  ➔ Use of the infinitive form after "de" with a verb to express purpose or subordinate action.

  ➔ In French, when "de" is used before a verb, the verb is in the infinitive form to indicate purpose or an action related to the main verb.

• The song uses the conditional "Heureux celui qui meurt d'aimer".

  ➔ Use of the relative pronoun "qui" in a conditional phrase to specify "the one" who experiences dying from love.

  ➔ This construction emphasizes the person who is described by the relative clause, often in a poetic or philosophical context.

• The song features the future tense "Il a dit" (He has said).

  ➔ Use of the auxiliary "avoir" in the present tense combined with the past participle to form the passé composé, indicating completed actions in the past.

  ➔ The passé composé is used in French to express actions that are completed in the past, often with a specific time indicator.

• The song employs the subjunctive mood in "fou s'épargnant".

  ➔ Use of the reflexive verb "s'épargnant" in the present participle form to indicate a continuous or ongoing action, often implying a subjunctive or poetic nuance.

  ➔ The phrase "fou s'épargnant" suggests a poetic or metaphorical description, often implying a subjunctive or a nuanced mood expressing ongoing or conditional action.