La foule – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Edith Piaf

Lyrics & Translation

Discover "La Foule" by Edith Piaf, a song that beautifully merges Parisian charm with Latin American rhythms. Through its evocative lyrics and captivating melody, you can immerse yourself in the French language while exploring universal themes of love, destiny, and the dynamic energy of a crowd.

[English]

I see the city celebrating and in chaos

Suffocating under the sun and joy

And I hear in the music the shouts, the laughter

That burst and bounce around me

And lost among these people pushing me

Dazed, disoriented, I stand there

When suddenly, I turn around, he steps back

And the crowd comes to throw him into my arms

Carried by the crowd that drags us

Drags us along, crushed against each other

We are just one body

And the tide effortlessly pushes us, chained together

And leaves us both happy, intoxicated, and euphoric

Carried by the crowd that surges forward

And dances a wild revel

Our two hands stay joined

And sometimes lifted, our bodies entwined take flight

And fall together, happy, intoxicated, and euphoric

And joy splashes from her smile

Pierces me and rebounds deep inside

But suddenly I scream among the laughter

When the crowd comes to tear her from my arms

Carried by the crowd that drags us

Drags us apart, pulls us away from each other

I struggle and fight

But my voice is smothered in others' laughter

And I cry out in pain, fury, and rage, and I weep

And dragged by the crowd that surges forward

And dances a wild revel

I am swept away into the distance

And I clench my fists, cursing the crowd that steals from me

The man she gave me and I never found again

...

[French]

Je revois la ville en fête et en délire

Suffoquant sous le soleil et sous la joie

Et j'entends dans la musique les cris, les rires

Qui éclatent et rebondissent autour de moi

Et perdue parmi ces gens qui me bousculent

Étourdie, désemparée, je reste là

Quand soudain, je me retourne, il se recule

Et la foule vient me jeter entre ses bras

Emportés par la foule qui nous traîne

Nous entraîne, écrasés l'un contre l'autre

Nous ne formons qu'un seul corps

Et le flot sans effort nous pousse, enchaînés l'un et l'autre

Et nous laisse tous deux épanouis, enivrés et heureux

Entraînés par la foule qui s'élance

Et qui danse une folle farandole

Nos deux mains restent soudées

Et parfois soulevés, nos deux corps enlacés s'envolent

Et retombent tous deux épanouis, enivrés et heureux

Et la joie éclaboussée par son sourire

Me transperce et rejaillit au fond de moi

Mais soudain je pousse un cri parmi les rires

Quand la foule vient l'arracher d'entre mes bras

Emportés par la foule qui nous traîne

Nous entraîne, nous éloigne l'un de l'autre

Je lutte et je me débats

Mais le son de ma voix s'étouffe dans les rires des autres

Et je crie de douleur, de fureur et de rage et je pleure

Et traînée par la foule qui s'élance

Et qui danse une folle farandole

Je suis emportée au loin

Et je crispe mes poings, maudissant la foule qui me vole

L'homme qu'elle m'avait donné et que je n'ai jamais retrouvé

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
revois /ʁə.vwa/ B1	verb - to see again
ville /vil/ A2	noun - city
fête /fɛt/ A2	noun - party, celebration
délire /de.lir/ B2	noun - delirium, frenzy
suffoquant /sy.fɔk.tɑ̃/ C1	verb (present participle) - gasping, suffocating
soleil /sɔ.lɛj/ A1	noun - sun
joie /ʒwa/ A2	noun - joy
musique /my.zik/ A1	noun - music
cris /kʁi/ A2	noun - screams, shouts
rires /ʁiʁ/ A2	noun - laughter
foule /ful/ A2	noun - crowd
bousculent /bu.ʃyklɑ̃/ C1	verb - to push, shove
étourdie /e.tuʁ.di/ B2	adjective - dazed, stunned
recule /ʁə.kyl/ B1	verb - to step back, recoil
entraîne /ɑ̃.tʁɛn/ B2	verb - to lead, to carry away
effort /ɛ.fɔʁ/ A2	noun - effort, exertion
corps /kɔʁ/ A2	noun - body
pousser /pu.se/ A2	verb - to push

Key Grammar Structures

• Je revois la ville en fête et en délire

  ➔ Present tense of the verb "revoir" in the first person singular.

  ➔ "revois" is the present tense form of "revoir," meaning "to see again" or "to recall."

• Suffoquant sous le soleil et sous la joie

  ➔ Present participle "suffoquant" indicating simultaneous action.

  ➔ "Suffoquant" is the present participle of "suffoquer," meaning "suffocating" or "gasping," describing the ongoing action.

• Et j'entends dans la musique les cris, les rires

  ➔ Present tense of "entendre" in the first person singular.

  ➔ "entends" is the present tense form of "entendre," meaning "to hear."

• Quand soudain, je pousse un cri parmi les rires

  ➔ Present tense of "pousser" in the first person singular.

  ➔ "pousse" is the present tense form of "pousser," meaning "to push" or "to thrust."

• Et la foule vient l'arracher d'entre mes bras

  ➔ Present tense of "venir" in third person singular, followed by an infinitive "arracher."

  ➔ "vient" is the present tense of "venir," meaning "to come," used here to indicate the crowd is coming or approaching.

• Et qui danse une folle farandole

  ➔ Present tense of "danser" in third person singular; "une folle farandole" is a noun phrase.

  ➔ "danse" is the present tense form of "danser," meaning "to dance."

• Et retombent tous deux épanouis, enivrés et heureux

  ➔ Present tense of "retomber" in third person plural; adjectives "épanouis," "enivrés," "heureux" agree in gender and number.

  ➔ "retombent" is the present tense form of "retomber," meaning "to fall back" or "to go down again."