Place de la république – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Coeur de Pirate

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the tender and melancholic world of Cœur de pirate with "Place de la République." This song, rich with emotion and the signature piano melodies of the Canadian artist, offers a beautiful entry point into French-Canadian music. Through its heartfelt lyrics about love and longing, you can connect with the evocative storytelling and emotional depth that makes Cœur de pirate a beloved artist.

[English]

We met just to please ourselves

...

With the demands we built for ourselves

But we get lost in it

You're just a few miles away

And our hearts, our hearts are still in that sea

I ran along the Seine

Hoping to find you again, with my soul at peace

...

I ran without knowing how

...

Nor why we get carried away, we only knew each other for a moment

And I no longer know if you're worth it

It's pretty hard to be sure

And when you're at Pearson

Tonight, don’t forget me

I’ll wait for you at least until I can say

That I took the biggest risk

One evening that made me so sad

One evening, Place de la République

...

And as you see, it's truly the end

...

I have to cross the ocean tomorrow morning

Gently pulling myself away from your arms

And it's reality waiting for me

...

I know, your heart is inhabited

By one or other girls who've left their mark on you

I'm less strong than the others

...

But I hope so much to be missed by you, to stand out

And I no longer know if you're worth it

It's pretty hard to be sure

And when you're at Pearson

Tonight, don’t forget me

I’ll wait for you at least until I can say

That I took the biggest risk

One evening that made me so sad

One evening, Place de la République

...

[French]

On s'est connu le temps de plaire

Aux exigences qu'on s'est créées

Mais on s'y perd

Tu n'es qu'à quelques kilomètres

Et nos cœurs, nos cœurs sont restés dans cette mer

J'ai couru en longeant la Seine

En espérant te retrouver, l'âme sereine

J'ai couru sans savoir comment

Ni pourquoi on s'emballe, on n's'est connu qu'un moment

Et je ne sais plus si tu en vaux la peine

C'est plutôt dur d'en être certaine

Et quand tu seras à Pearson

Ce soir, ne m'oublie pas

Je t'attendrai au moins le temps de dire

Que j'ai voulu prendre le plus grand risque

Un soir qui m'a rendue bien triste

Un soir, Place de la République

Et comme tu vois, c'est bien la fin

Je dois traverser l'océan demain matin

De tes bras, je m'arracherai tout doucement

Et c'est la réalité qui m'attend

Je sais, ton cœur est habité

Par une ou d'autres filles qui t'ont marqué

Moi, je suis moins forte que les autres

Mais j'espère tant te manquer, tant me démarquer

Et je ne sais plus si tu en vaux la peine

C'est plutôt dur d'en être certaine

Et quand tu seras à Pearson

Ce soir, ne m'oublie pas

Je t'attendrai au moins le temps de dire

Que j'ai voulu prendre le plus grand risque

Un soir qui m'a rendue bien triste

Un soir, Place de la République

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
perdre /pɛʁdʁ/ A2	verb - to lose
rester /ʁɛs.te/ A2	verb - to stay; to remain
courir /kuʁiʁ/ B1	verb - to run
espérer /ɛs.peʁe/ B1	verb - to hope
traverser /tʁavaʁ.se/ B2	verb - to cross
moyen /mwa.jɛ̃/ A2	adjective - means; way
risque /ʁisk/ B2	noun - risk
fin /fɛ̃/ A2	noun - end; finish
obliger /ɔbliʒe/ C1	verb - to force; to obligate
attendre / at ɑ̃dʁ/ A2	verb - to wait
difficile /dificil/ B2	adjective - difficult
cœur /kœʁ/ A1	noun - heart

Key Grammar Structures

• On s'est connu le temps de plaire

  ➔ Passé Composé (Compound Past Tense)

  ➔ The phrase uses the compound past tense to indicate a completed action in the past, specifically 'we met during the time to please'.

• Et nos cœurs, nos cœurs sont restés dans cette mer

  ➔ Present Tense

  ➔ The present tense is used here to express a current state, indicating 'our hearts are left in this sea'.

• C'est plutôt dur d'en être certaine

  ➔ Infinitive Construction

  ➔ The phrase uses an infinitive construction to express difficulty in being certain, specifically 'it is rather hard to be certain about it'.

• Je t'attendrai au moins le temps de dire

  ➔ Future Simple Tense

  ➔ The future simple tense is used to express an action that will happen, specifically 'I will wait for you at least the time to say'.

• De tes bras, je m'arracherai tout doucement

  ➔ Reflexive Verbs

  ➔ The use of a reflexive verb indicates an action performed on oneself, specifically 'I will gently pull myself away from your arms'.

• Je sais, ton cœur est habité

  ➔ Present Passive Voice

  ➔ The present passive voice is used to indicate that the subject is acted upon, specifically 'your heart is inhabited'.

• Mais j'espère tant te manquer, tant me démarquer

  ➔ Adverbial Phrases

  ➔ The use of adverbial phrases emphasizes the degree of hope, specifically 'I hope so much to miss you, so much to stand out'.