Là-bas – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Jean-Jacques Goldman, Sirima

Lyrics & Translation

[French]

[English]

Là-bas

Over there

...

...

Tout est neuf et tout est sauvage

Everything is new and wild

...

...

Libre continent sans grillage

A free continent without fences

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...

Ici, nos rêves sont étroits

Here, our dreams are small

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...

C'est pour ça que j'irais là-bas

That's why I'm going over there

...

...

Là-bas

Over there

...

...

Faut du cœur et faut du courage

It takes heart and courage

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Mais tout est possible à mon âge

But everything is possible at my age

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Si tu as la force et la foi

If you have the strength and faith

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L'or est à portée de tes doigts

Gold is within your reach

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C'est pour ça que j'irais là-bas

That's why I'm going over there

...

...

N'y va pas

Don't go

Y a des tempêtes et des naufrages

There are storms and shipwrecks

Le feu, les diables et les mirages

Fire, devils and mirages

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Je te sais si fragile parfois

I know you're so fragile sometimes

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Reste au creux de moi

Stay here with me

On a tant d'amour à faire

We have so much love to make

Tant de bonheur à venir

So much happiness to come

Je te veux mari et père

I want you as a husband and father

Et toi, tu rêves de partir

And you, you dream of leaving

Ici, tout est joué d'avance

Here, everything is decided in advance

Et l'on n'y peut rien changer

And there's nothing we can change

Tout dépend de ta naissance

Everything depends on your birth

Et moi je ne suis pas bien né

And I wasn't born well

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...

Là-bas

Over there

Loin de nos vies, de nos villages

Far from our lives, our villages

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J'oublierai ta voix, ton visage

I'll forget your voice, your face

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J'ai beau te serrer dans mes bras

I can hold you tight in my arms

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Tu m'échappes déjà là-bas

You're already escaping me over there

J'aurai ma chance, j'aurai mes droits

I'll have my chance, I'll have my rights

N'y va pas

Don't go

Et la fierté qu'ici je n'ai pas

And the pride that I don't have here

Là-bas

Over there

Tout ce que tu mérites est à toi

Everything you deserve is yours

N'y va pas

Don't go

Ici, les autres imposent leur loi

Here, others impose their law

Là-bas

Over there

Je te perdrai peut-être là-bas

I might lose you over there

N'y va pas

Don't go

Je me perds si je reste là

I'll get lost if I stay here

Là-bas

Over there

La vie ne m'a pas laissé le choix

Life didn't give me a choice

N'y va pas

Don't go

Toi et moi, ce sera là-bas ou pas

You and me, it'll be over there or not at all

Là-bas

Over there

Tout est neuf et tout est sauvage

Everything is new and wild

N'y va pas

Don't go

Libre continent sans grillage

A free continent without fences

Là-bas

Over there

Beau comme on n'imagine pas

Beautiful as you can't imagine

N'y va pas

Don't go

Ici, même nos rêves sont étroits

Here, even our dreams are small

Là-bas

Over there

C'est pour ça que j'irais là-bas

That's why I'm going over there

N'y va pas

Don't go

On ne m'a pas laissé le choix

They didn't give me a choice

Là-bas

Over there

Je me perds si je reste là

I'll get lost if I stay here

N'y va pas

Don't go

C'est pour ça que j'irais là-bas

That's why I'm going over there

N'y va pas

Don't go

N'y va pas

Don't go

N'y va pas

Don't go

N'y va pas

Don't go

N'y va pas...

Don't go...

...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
rêve /ʁɛv/ A2	noun - dream
courage /kuʁaʒ/ B1	noun - courage
force /fɔʁs/ B1	noun - force
foi /fwa/ B2	noun - faith
tempête /tɑ̃.pɛt/ B2	noun - storm
naufrage /nofʁaʒ/ C1	noun - shipwreck
fragile /fʁa.ʒil/ B2	adjective - fragile
amour /a.muʁ/ A2	noun - love
bonheur /bɔ.nœʁ/ B1	noun - happiness
choix /ʃwa/ B1	noun - choice
visage /vi.zaʒ/ A2	noun - face
chance /ʃɑ̃s/ B1	noun - chance
fierté /fjɛʁ.te/ C1	noun - pride
libre /libʁ/ A2	adjective - free
sauvage /so.vaʒ/ B2	adjective - wild

Key Grammar Structures

• Tout est neuf et tout est sauvage

  ➔ Use of 'tout' as a pronoun meaning 'everything' or 'all'.

  ➔ Here, "tout" refers to the entire situation or environment being described, emphasizing that "everything" is new and wild. 'Est' is the 3rd person singular of the verb 'être' in the present tense.

• Si tu as la force et la foi, L'or est à portée de tes doigts

  ➔ Use of 'si' clauses (conditional sentences) with the present indicative. The structure 'à portée de' means 'within reach of'.

  ➔ This highlights a condition and its result. "Si" introduces the condition (having strength and faith), and the main clause states the result (gold is within reach).

• Je te sais si fragile parfois

  ➔ Use of 'si' to intensify an adjective. 'Savoir' + adjective to express a perceived quality.

  ➔ The word "si" emphasizes the degree of fragility. The speaker knows or perceives the other person as being fragile 'sometimes'. "Savoir" is used here not as 'to know' a fact, but 'to perceive'.

• On a tant d'amour à faire, Tant de bonheur à venir

  ➔ Use of 'tant de' + noun to express a large quantity. 'À faire' and 'à venir' are infinitival phrases acting as adjectives.

  ➔ "Tant d'amour" emphasizes a large amount of love to be created or experienced. "À faire" modifies "amour," suggesting love yet to be made. "À venir" modifies "bonheur," indicating future happiness.

• Tout ce que tu mérites est à toi

  ➔ Use of 'tout ce que' to introduce a relative clause. Possession expressed with 'à toi'.

  ➔ "Tout ce que" means 'everything that'. This entire clause refers to all the things that the person deserves. "À toi" signifies 'is yours' or belongs to you.

• Je me perds si je reste là

  ➔ Use of 'si' clause (conditional sentences) with the present indicative showing consequence. The reflexive verb 'se perdre' means 'to get lost'.

  ➔ This is a conditional statement. "Si je reste là" presents the condition (if I stay here), and "Je me perds" presents the consequence (I get lost). The meaning here is figurative rather than literal; the speaker means they would lose their sense of self or purpose.