Les Yeux Noirs – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Django Reinhardt, Pomplamoose, The Vignes Rooftop Revival

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the enchanting melody and poignant lyrics of "Les Yeux Noirs." This iconic song, with roots in 19th-century Russian romance and a strong presence in Gypsy jazz, offers a beautiful exploration of love's powerful and sometimes overwhelming nature. Learning this song provides insight into vocal expression, emotional storytelling, and the rich cultural tapestry that blends Eastern European folk traditions with jazz improvisation.

[English]

In your big black eyes

I've lost myself

I'm waiting for a glance, my heart hanging in the balance

I love you so deeply,

You who terrify me

Is it a bad curse,

Or just bad timing?

And around us,

The Gypsies are singing

Nobody cares,

They get drunk on champagne

In your beautiful black eyes,

I sink, my love

And my despair is deaf to their song

I lose my mind trying to find your arms

Burning with passion, come kiss me

From your big black eyes, the strange light

Enveloping the evening, full of mysteries

I'm crazy about you, my beautiful girl with black eyes

Even if I don't know where our story is heading

It's for my passion, those black eyes that I love

That I sing this song,

Otchi Tchornye!

Sous-titres/Captions/Subtítols www.music-text.cat Ignasi Barjau Capdevila

[French]

Dans tes grands yeux noirs

Je me suis perdu

J'attends un regard, le coeur suspendu

Je t'aime tellement fort,

Toi qui me fais peur

Est-ce un mauvais sort,

Ou la mauvaise heure.

Et autour de nous,

Chantent les Tziganes

Tout le monde s'en fout,

S'enivre au champagne

Dans tes beaux yeux noirs,

Je sombre, mon amour

Et mon désespoir à leur chant est sourd

Je perds la raison à chercher tes bras

Brûlant de passion, vient embrasse-moi

De tes grands yeux noirs, l'étrange lumière

À nimbé le soir, de tous les mystères.

Je suis fou de toi, ma belle aux yeux noirs.

Même si je ne sais pas où va notre histoire,

C'est pour ma passion, les yeux noirs que j'ai

Fait cette chanson,

Otchi Tchornye!

Sous-titres/Captions/Subtítols www.music-text.cat Ignasi Barjau Capdevila

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
yeux /jø/ A1	noun - eyes
noirs /nwaʁ/ A1	adjective - black
amour /a.muʁ/ A1	noun - love
regard /ʁə.ɡaʁ/ A2	noun - look, gaze
sombre /sɔ̃bʁ/ B1	adjective - dark, gloomy
passion /pa.sjɔ̃/ B1	noun - passion
mystères /mis.tɛʁ/ B2	noun - mysteries
suspendu /syp.ɑ̃.dy/ B2	adjective - suspended
sombre /sɔ̃bʁ/ B2	adjective - dark, gloomy
brûlant /bʁy.lɑ̃/ B2	adjective - burning, blazing
mauvais /mo.vɛ/ B2	adjective - bad
heure /œʁ/ B2	noun - hour
chant /ʃɑ̃/ B2	noun - song, chant
fou /fu/ B2	adjective - crazy, mad
histoire /is.twaʁ/ B2	noun - story, history

Key Grammar Structures

• Dans tes grands yeux noirs

  ➔ Use of prepositions to indicate location.

  ➔ The phrase "Dans tes grands yeux noirs" translates to "In your big black eyes," indicating the location of the speaker's feelings.

• Je t'aime tellement fort

  ➔ Use of adverbs to modify verbs.

  ➔ The phrase "Je t'aime tellement fort" means "I love you so much," where "tellement" intensifies the verb "aime."

• Est-ce un mauvais sort

  ➔ Use of interrogative structure.

  ➔ The phrase "Est-ce un mauvais sort" translates to "Is it a bad spell?" showing how to form a question in French.

• Je perds la raison

  ➔ Use of present tense to express current actions.

  ➔ The phrase "Je perds la raison" means "I am losing my mind," indicating an ongoing action.

• Brûlant de passion

  ➔ Use of gerunds to express ongoing actions or states.

  ➔ The phrase "Brûlant de passion" translates to "Burning with passion," where "brûlant" describes the state of being passionate.

• Je suis fou de toi

  ➔ Use of the verb 'être' to express states of being.

  ➔ The phrase "Je suis fou de toi" means "I am crazy about you," where "suis" is the present tense of 'être.'

• C'est pour ma passion

  ➔ Use of 'c'est' to introduce explanations.

  ➔ The phrase "C'est pour ma passion" translates to "It is for my passion," where 'c'est' introduces the reason.