Je ne savais pas – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Disney
• Album: La Belle et la Bête

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the enchanting French song "Je ne savais pas" from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." This beautiful ballad offers a window into the evolving emotions of Belle and the Beast, revealing the subtle yet profound shifts in their relationship. Through its lyrics, you can explore themes of love, self-discovery, and the magic of seeing someone in a new light.

[English]

BELLE: There's something in his gaze

A little fragile, like a hope

You, my friend with silken eyes

You smiled, though I didn't know just yesterday

THE BEAST: She looks at me, I can feel it

Like a bird, she has laid her hand on me

I dare not believe it, yet I do

Never before had she looked at me that way

BELLE: It's the wildest story

And all this tale enchants me

It's true

He's no prince charming

But outside of time, my heart awakens secretly

Who would have thought?

It's unlikely!

Who would have known?

Oh yes, but who?

Who could believe these two would fall for each other?

It's crazy!

Let's wait and see!

What it will become

There's something that yesterday didn't exist

There's something that yesterday didn't exist

What?

There's something that yesterday didn't exist

What are you saying, Mom?

Shh...

These are stories for grown-ups

[French]

BELLE : Y'a quelque chose, dans son regard

D'un peu fragile et de léger, comme un espoir

Toi mon ami aux yeux de soie

Tu as souri mais hier encore je n'savais pas

LA BÊTE : Elle me regarde, je le sens bien

Comme un oiseau sur moi elle a posé sa main

Je n'ose y croire, pourtant j'y crois

Jamais encore elle n'avait eu ce regard là

BELLE : C'est le plus fou des romans

Et toute cette histoire m'enchante

C'est vrai

Il n'a rien d'un prince charmant

Mais en marge du temps, mon cœur s’éveille en secret

Qui l'aurait cru ?

C'est incongru !

Qui l'aurait su ?

Oh oui mais qui ?

Qui pouvait croire que ces deux là se seraient plu ?

C'est insensé !

Attendons d'voir !

C'que ça donnera

Y'a quelque chose qu'hier encore n'existait pas

Y'a quelque chose qu'hier encore n'existait pas

Quoi ?

Y'a quelque chose qu'hier encore n'existait pas

Qu'est-ce que tu dis maman ?

Chut...

Ce sont des histoires de grandes personnes

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
regard /ʁə.ɡaʁ/ B1	noun - gaze, look
soucis /susi/ B2	noun - worries, concerns
espoir /ɛs.pwaʁ/ B2	noun - hope
sourire /su.ʁiʁ/ A2	verb - to smile
croire /kʁwaʁ/ B1	verb - to believe
amour /a.muʁ/ A2	noun - love
temps /tɑ̃/ A2	noun - time
cœur /k‿œʁ/ B1	noun - heart
plu /ply/ A2	adverb - more
insensé /ɛ̃.sɑ̃.se/ C1	adjective - insane, unreasonable
doute /dut/ B2	noun - doubt
histoire /is.twaʁ/ A2	noun - story, history
personnes /pɛʁ.sɔn/ A2	noun - people

Key Grammar Structures

• Y'a quelque chose, dans son regard

  ➔ Existential 'il y a' + noun

  ➔ 'Y'a' is a contraction of 'Il y a', meaning 'there is/are'.

• Je ne savais pas

  ➔ Negative past tense with 'ne ... pas'

  ➔ This structure expresses that something was not known or did not happen in the past.

• Tu as souri

  ➔ Past tense of 'avoir' + past participle

  ➔ This construction is used to form the past tense, meaning 'you smiled'.

• C'est le plus fou des romans

  ➔ Superlative form with 'le plus' + adjective

  ➔ Expresses the highest degree of the adjective 'fou' (crazy/absurd).

• Qui l'aurait su ?

  ➔ Conditional perfect 'aurait' + past participle

  ➔ This is used to express hypothetical or unlikely situations, meaning 'Who would have known?'

• Ce sont des histoires de grandes personnes

  ➔ Demonstrative pronoun 'ce' + 'sont' (to be) + plural noun

  ➔ This structure points to a group of things, here 'stories of grown-up people'.