J'attendrai – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Rina Ketty

Lyrics & Translation

Discover "J'attendrai" by Rina Ketty, a timeless French song that beautifully expresses themes of enduring love and hope. Through its evocative lyrics and melody, you can immerse yourself in the French language and understand the power of emotional expression in music, making it a unique way to connect with French culture.

[English]

I will wait

Day and night, I will always wait

For your return

I will wait

Because the bird that flies away

Goes in search of forgetfulness in its nest

Time passes quickly

Beating sadly

Within my heavy heart

And yet, I will wait for your return

...

Flowers fade, the fire dies out

Shadows creep into the garden

The clock hums tiredly

I believe I hear your footsteps

The wind carries distant sounds

Waiting at my door, I listen in vain

Alas, nothing more, nothing comes anymore

I will wait

Day and night, I will always wait

For your return

I will wait

Because the bird that flies away

Goes in search of forgetfulness in its nest

Time passes quickly

Beating sadly

Within my heavy heart

And yet, I will wait for your return

...

[French]

J'attendrai

Le jour et la nuit, j'attendrai toujours

Ton retour

J'attendrai

Car l'oiseau qui s'enfuit

Vient chercher l'oubli dans son nid

Le temps passe et court

En battant tristement

Dans mon cœur si lourd

Et pourtant, j'attendrai ton retour

Les fleurs palissent, le feu s'éteint

L'ombre se glisse dans le jardin

L'horloge tisse des sons très las

Je crois entendre ton pas

Le vent m'apporte des bruits lointains

Guettant ma porte, j'écoute en vain

Hélas, plus rien, plus rien ne vient

J'attendrai

Le jour et la nuit, j'attendrai toujours

Ton retour

J'attendrai

Car l'oiseau qui s'enfuit

Vient chercher l'oubli dans son nid

Le temps passe et court

En battant tristement

Dans mon cœur si lourd

Et pourtant, j'attendrai ton retour

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
attendre /a.tɑ̃.dʁ/ A2	verb - to wait
jour /ʒuʁ/ A1	noun - day
nuit /nɥi/ A1	noun - night
retour /ʁə.tuʁ/ A2	noun - return
oiseau /wazo/ A2	noun - bird
oubli /ubli/ B1	noun - forgetting
temps /tɑ̃/ A1	noun - time
cœur /kœʁ/ B1	noun - heart
fleurs /flœʁ/ A2	noun - flowers
ombre /ɔ̃bʁ/ B1	noun - shadow
jardin /ʒaʁ.dɛ̃/ A2	noun - garden
vent /vɑ̃/ A2	noun - wind
bruits /bʁɥi/ B1	noun - noises
écouter /ekute/ A2	verb - to listen
vain /vɛ̃/ B2	adjective - in vain

Key Grammar Structures

• J'attendrai toujours

  ➔ Future tense with 'aller' to express intention.

  ➔ The phrase "J'attendrai" means "I will wait," indicating a future action.

• Le temps passe et court

  ➔ Present tense to describe ongoing actions.

  ➔ The phrase "Le temps passe et court" means "Time passes and runs," indicating the continuous flow of time.

• Hélas, plus rien ne vient

  ➔ Use of 'ne... rien' for negation.

  ➔ The phrase "plus rien ne vient" means "nothing comes anymore," indicating a complete absence.

• L'horloge tisse des sons très las

  ➔ Use of present tense to describe a state.

  ➔ The phrase "L'horloge tisse des sons très las" means "The clock weaves very tired sounds," indicating a monotonous state.

• L'ombre se glisse dans le jardin

  ➔ Reflexive verbs to indicate actions performed on oneself.

  ➔ The phrase "L'ombre se glisse" means "The shadow slips," indicating a subtle movement.

• Car l'oiseau qui s'enfuit

  ➔ Relative clauses to provide additional information.

  ➔ The phrase "l'oiseau qui s'enfuit" means "the bird that flees," providing more detail about the subject.

• Dans mon cœur si lourd

  ➔ Adjectives to describe feelings.

  ➔ The phrase "mon cœur si lourd" means "my heart so heavy," expressing deep emotion.