Parle-moi – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Isabelle Boulay

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the emotional depth of Isabelle Boulay's "Parle-moi," a song that beautifully explores the complexities of relationships and the power of communication. Through its heartfelt lyrics and captivating melody, you can immerse yourself in the French language and connect with universal themes of love and longing.

[English]

I no longer know how to tell you

I can't find the words anymore

...

These words that made you laugh

And those you thought were beautiful

...

So many times I wanted to write to you

...

And so many times I bowed my head

And to relive our memories

I even brushed against your skin

Oh, tell me

Look at me

I no longer know how to love you

Nor how to keep you

Speak to me

Oh, speak to me

I no longer know why I love you

Nor why I should go on

You are here

But you're so far away

From me

...

I no longer know how to go on

...

This love that no longer exists

...

All I know is to suffer

Suffer as much as I believed in it

But I know I must survive

And move one step further

So finally the drift will end

Of moments forever lost

...

Oh, tell me

Look at me

I no longer know how to love you

Nor how to keep you

Oh, tell me

Look at me

There is the life we dreamed of

The one that was just beginning

Oh, speak to me

Speak to me

I no longer know why I love you

Nor how to carry on

Oh, tell me

Oh, tell me

Tell me, if it's all over

If I should go away

Oh, speak to me

Speak to me

Look at me

Look at me

...

Look at me

Look at me

...

[French]

Je ne sais plus comment te dire

Je ne trouve plus les mots

Ces mots qui te faisaient rire

Et ceux que tu trouvais beaux

J'ai tant de fois voulu t'écrire

Et tant de fois courbé le dos

Et pour revivre nos souvenirs

J'ai même aussi frôlé ta peau

Oh, dis-moi

Regarde-moi

Je ne sais plus comment t'aimer

Ni comment te garder

Parle-moi

Oh, parle-moi

Je ne sais plus pourquoi t'aimer

Ni pourquoi continuer

Tu es là

Mais tu es si loin

De moi

Je ne sais plus comment poursuivre

Cet amour qui n'en est plus

Je ne sais plus que souffrir

Souffrir autant que j'y ai cru

Mais je sais qu'il me faut survivre

Et avancer un pas de plus

Pour qu'enfin cesse la dérive

Des moments à jamais perdus

Oh, dis-moi

Regarde-moi

Je ne sais plus comment t'aimer

Ni comment te garder

Oh, dis-moi

Regarde-moi

Il y a la vie dont on rêvait

Celle qui commençait

Oh, parle-moi

Parle-moi

Je ne sais plus pourquoi t'aimer

Ni comment continuer

Oh, dis-moi

Oh, dis-moi

Dis-moi, si tout est terminé

Si je dois m'en aller

Oh, parle-moi

Parle-moi

Regarde-moi

Regarde-moi

Regarde-moi

Regarde-moi

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
sais /sɛ/ A1	verb - to know
dire /diʁ/ A1	verb - to say
mots /mo/ A1	noun - words
beaux /bo/ A2	adjective - beautiful
souvenirs /su.və.niʁ/ B1	noun - memories
amour /a.muʁ/ B1	noun - love
souffrir /su.fʁiʁ/ B2	verb - to suffer
survivre /syʁ.vi.vʁ/ B2	verb - to survive
avancer /a.vɑ̃.se/ B2	verb - to move forward
dérive /de.ʁiv/ C1	noun - drift
terminé /tɛʁ.mi.ne/ C1	adjective - finished

Key Grammar Structures

• Je ne sais plus comment te dire

  ➔ Indirect Question with 'comment'

  ➔ The phrase "comment te dire" functions as the object of "sais plus." It's an indirect question meaning 'how to tell you'.

• Ces mots qui te faisaient rire

  ➔ Relative pronoun 'qui' + Imparfait tense

  ➔ "qui" refers back to "mots" (words), and the "Imparfait" ("faisaient rire") describes a repeated or ongoing action in the past: 'the words that used to make you laugh'.

• J'ai tant de fois voulu t'écrire

  ➔ Expression of Quantity "tant de fois" + Passé Composé with 'vouloir'

  ➔ "tant de fois" means 'so many times'. "voulu" is the past participle of "vouloir" (to want) used in the Passé Composé.

• Et pour revivre nos souvenirs, j'ai même aussi frôlé ta peau

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose + adverb 'même' + auxiliary "avoir" with "frôler"

  ➔ "Pour revivre" expresses the purpose. "même aussi" emphasizes the action, translating as 'I even brushed your skin'.

• Ni comment te garder

  ➔ Negative conjunction 'Ni' + Indirect Question with 'comment'

  ➔ "Ni" here means 'nor'. So, the phrase means 'nor how to keep you'.

• Je ne sais plus pourquoi t'aimer

  ➔ Indirect Question with 'pourquoi'

  ➔ "Pourquoi t'aimer" is an indirect question, acting as the object of "sais plus". It means 'why to love you'.

• Ni pourquoi continuer

  ➔ Negative conjunction 'Ni' + Infinitive as a noun/object after 'pourquoi'

  ➔ "Ni" continues the negation. "continuer" acts as a noun here, meaning 'nor why to continue'.

• Tu es là, mais tu es si loin de moi

  ➔ Adverb of degree 'si' + preposition 'de'

  ➔ "si loin de moi" means 'so far from me'. "si" emphasizes the distance, and "de" indicates separation from the speaker.

• Si je dois m'en aller

  ➔ 'Si' clause + 'devoir' + reflexive pronoun + en

  ➔ Conditional 'si' clause indicating a possible scenario. 'devoir' (to have to) indicates obligation. 'm'en aller' means 'to go away, leave', using both the reflexive pronoun 'me' and the adverbial pronoun 'en'. The 'en' replaces a place (implied: 'from here').