Mon amant de Saint-Jean – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Patrick Bruel

Lyrics & Translation

[French]

[English]

Je ne sais pourquoi elle allait danser

I don’t know why she went dancing

à Saint Jean au musette

In Saint Jean at the musette

Mais quand ce gars lui a pris un baiser

But when that guy took her a kiss

Elle frissonnait, était chipée

She shivered, was so caught up

Comment ne pas perdre la tête

How can you not lose your mind

Serré par des bras audacieux

Held tight by daring arms

Car l'on croit toujours

Because we always believe

Aux doux mots d'amour

In gentle words of love

Quand ils sont dits avec les yeux

When they’re spoken with the eyes

Elle qui l'aimait tant

She loved him so much

Elle le trouvait le plus beau de Saint Jean

She thought he was the most handsome in Saint Jean

Elle restait grisée

She remained dazed

Sans volonté

Without will

Sous ses baisers

Under his kisses

Sans plus réfléchir, elle lui donnait

Without thinking anymore, she gave herself

Le meilleur de son être

The best of herself

Beau parleur chaque fois qu'il mentait

A smooth talker every time he lied

Elle le savait, mais elle l'aimait

She knew it, but she loved him

Comment ne pas perdre la tête

How can you not lose your mind

Serré par des bras audacieux

Held tight by daring arms

Car l'on croit toujours

Because we always believe

Aux doux mots d'amour

In gentle words of love

Quand ils sont dits avec les yeux

When they’re spoken with the eyes

Elle qui l'aimait tant

She loved him so much

Elle le trouvait le plus beau de Saint Jean

She thought he was the most handsome in Saint Jean

Elle restait grisée

She remained dazed

Sans volonté

Without will

Sous ses baisers

Under his kisses

Mais hélas, à Saint Jean comme ailleurs

But alas, in Saint Jean as elsewhere

Un serment n'est qu'un leurre

A promise is just a deception

Elle était folle de croire au bonheur

She was crazy to believe in happiness

Et de vouloir garder son cœur

And to want to keep her heart

Comment ne pas perdre la tête

How can you not lose your mind

Serré par des bras audacieux

Held tight by daring arms

Car l'on croit toujours

Because we always believe

Aux doux mots d'amour

In gentle words of love

Quand ils sont dits avec les yeux

When they’re spoken with the eyes

Elle qui l'aimait tant,

She loved him so much,

Elle le trouvait le plus beau de Saint Jean,

She thought he was the most handsome in Saint Jean,

Elle restait grisée

She remained dazed

Sans volonté

Without will

Sous ses baisers

Under his kisses

...

...

Elle qui l'aimait tant

She loved him so much

Elle le trouvait le plus beau de Saint Jean,

She thought he was the most handsome in Saint Jean,

Il ne l'aime plus

He no longer loves her

C'est du passé

It’s in the past

N'en parlons plus

Let’s not talk about it anymore

Il ne l'aime plus

He no longer loves her

C'est du passé

It’s in the past

N'en parlons plus

Let’s not talk about it anymore

...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
allait /a.lɛ/ A2	verb - was going to
danser /dɑ̃.se/ A2	verb - to dance
frissonnait /fʁi.sɔ.nɛ/ B2	verb - was trembling
chipée /ʃi.pe/ B2	adjective - hooked or entangled
perdre /pɛʁdʁ/ A2	verb - to lose
tête /tɛt/ A2	noun - head
audacieux /o.da.sjø/ B2	adjective - bold or daring
mots /mo/ A2	noun - words
amour /a.muʁ/ A1	noun - love
yeux /jø/ A2	noun - eyes
restait /ʁɛs.tɛ/ A2	verb - was remaining
volonté /vɔ.lɔ̃.te/ B1	noun - will, desire
baisers /bɛ.zɛʁ/ A2	noun - kisses
meilleur /mɛ.jœʁ/ B2	adjective - best
parleur /paʁ.lœʁ/ B2	noun - speaker or talker
mentait /mɑ̃.tɛ/ B2	verb - was lying or lying
passé /pa.se/ A2	noun - past

Key Grammar Structures

• Je ne sais pourquoi elle allait danser

  ➔ Use of the subjunctive mood with 'savoir' to express uncertainty.

  ➔ The phrase "Je ne sais pourquoi" translates to "I do not know why," indicating a lack of knowledge or certainty.

• Elle frissonnait, était chipée

  ➔ Use of the imperfect tense to describe ongoing past actions.

  ➔ The verbs "frissonnait" and "était" are in the imperfect tense, indicating that these actions were ongoing in the past.

• Elle restait grisée

  ➔ Use of the imperfect tense to describe a state of being in the past.

  ➔ The phrase "Elle restait grisée" means "She remained intoxicated," indicating a continuous state in the past.

• Elle qui l'aimait tant

  ➔ Use of relative clauses to provide additional information about a subject.

  ➔ The phrase "Elle qui l'aimait tant" translates to "She who loved him so much," adding context to the subject.

• Il ne l'aime plus

  ➔ Use of the present tense to express a current state or action.

  ➔ The phrase "Il ne l'aime plus" means "He no longer loves her," indicating a change in feelings.