Rétine – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Amir
• Album: Ressources

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic journey with Amir's "Rétine," a beautiful French love ballad that offers a wonderful way to learn the language. Its clear, emotional lyrics make complex feelings accessible, while its poetic metaphors, like the song's title, provide rich cultural context and vocabulary. Delve into the heartfelt declarations and sincere expressions to not only improve your French but also appreciate the artistry of one of France's beloved singers.

[English]

It started from nothing

Barely an exchanged glance

We were two, two strangers

Who knew each other well

It started from afar

I didn't want to reveal myself

But you stole my modesty

The sky is my witness

How many days, how much joy

It's not a big deal if we don't know

Since a second by your side

Is worth so many years

How many days, how many people

Will say we love each other stubbornly

But it amuses me, my muse

We're not about to fade

If in your retina, love

Can no longer bear the light of day

I'll relight the stars around

I'll learn to count until forever

And you, you can count on me

And it will never end

It will never end

It will never end

And it will never end

It will never end

It will never end

I know we suit each other well

Like soft lips and salty skin

Like when our bodies let go

The ocean is my witness

I love your quirks, our magic

The way you are my friend

I'm not superstitious

But you're the luck of my life

And if tomorrow we had nothing left

I wouldn't say "goodbye" but "thank you"

For leaving in my storms

A beautiful clearing

If in your retina, love

Can no longer bear the light of day

I'll relight the stars around

I'll learn to count until forever

And you, you can count on me

And it will never end

It will never end

It will never end

And it will never end

It will never end

It will never end

...

(And it will end, end)

...

(And it will end, end)

If in your retina, love

Can no longer bear the light of day

I'll relight the stars around

I'll learn to count until forever

And you, you can count on me

...

[French]

C'est parti de rien

À peine un regard échangé

On était deux, deux étrangers

Qui se connaissaient bien

C'est parti de loin

Je n'voulais pas me dévoiler

Mais ma pudeur, tu l'as volée

Le ciel en est témoin

Combien de jours, combien de joies

C'est pas très grave si on n'sait pas

Puisqu'une seconde à tes côtés

Vaut bien des années

Combien de jours, combien de gens

Diront qu'on s'aime obstinément

Mais ça m'amuse, ma muse

On n'est pas prêt de fâner

Si dans ta rétine, l'amour

Ne supporte plus la lumière du jour

Je rallumerai les étoiles autour

J'apprendrai à compter jusqu'à toujours

Et toi, tu pourras compter sur moi

Et ça finira jamais

Ça finira jamais

Ça finira jamais

Et ça finira jamais

Ça finira jamais

Ça finira jamais

Je sais qu'on se va bien

Comme lèvres douces et peaux salées

Comme quand nos corps se laissent aller

L'océan est témoin

J'aime tes manies, notre magie

Ta façon d'être mon amie

J'suis pas superstitieux

Mais t'es la chance de ma vie

Et si demain on avait plus rien

J'te dirais pas "adieu" mais "merci"

D'avoir laissé dans mes tempêtes

Une belle éclaircie

Si dans ta rétine, l'amour

Ne supporte plus la lumière du jour

Je rallumerai les étoiles autour

J'apprendrai à compter jusqu'à toujours

Et toi, tu pourras compter sur moi

Et ça finira jamais

Ça finira jamais

Ça finira jamais

Et ça finira jamais

Ça finira jamais

Ça finira jamais

(Et ça finira, finira)

(Et ça finira, finira)

Si dans ta rétine, l'amour

Ne supporte plus la lumière du jour

Je rallumerai les étoiles autour

J'apprendrai à compter jusqu'à toujours

Et toi, tu pourras compter sur moi

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
regard /ʁə.ɡaʁ/ A2	noun - look, glance
étranger /e.tʁɑ̃.ʒe/ B1	noun - foreigner, stranger adjective - foreign
pudeur /py.dœʁ/ B2	noun - modesty, shyness
ciel /sjɛl/ A1	noun - sky
témoin /te.mwɛ̃/ B1	noun - witness
joie /ʒwa/ A2	noun - joy
année /a.ne/ A1	noun - year
gens /ʒɑ̃/ A1	noun - people
muse /myz/ B2	noun - muse, inspiration
rétine /ʁe.tin/ C1	noun - retina
amour /a.muʁ/ A1	noun - love
lumière /ly.mjɛʁ/ A2	noun - light
jour /ʒuʁ/ A1	noun - day
étoile /e.twal/ A2	noun - star
lèvre /lɛvʁ/ A2	noun - lip
peau /po/ A1	noun - skin
océan /ɔ.se.ɑ̃/ A2	noun - ocean
manie /ma.ni/ B2	noun - habit, quirk
magie /ma.ʒi/ B1	noun - magic
vie /vi/ A1	noun - life
tempête /tɑ̃.pɛt/ B1	noun - storm
éclaircie /e.klɛʁ.si/ B2	noun - bright spell, break in the clouds

Key Grammar Structures

• C'est parti de rien

  ➔ Past Participle as Adjective; Impersonal Construction

  ➔ "Parti" is the past participle of "partir", used here to describe the start. "C'est parti" is an impersonal construction, meaning "It started".

• Je n'voulais pas me dévoiler

  ➔ Negative Construction with 'ne...pas'; Reflexive Verb in Infinitive

  ➔ "Ne...pas" creates the negation. "Se dévoiler" is a reflexive verb meaning "to reveal oneself", here in the infinitive form after "voulais".

• Puisqu'une seconde à tes côtés vaut bien des années

  ➔ Subordinating Conjunction ('puisque'); 'Vaut' with Implied Comparison

  ➔ "Puisque" introduces a reason or justification. "Vaut bien des années" implies a comparison, saying that one second with you is worth many years.

• Diront qu'on s'aime obstinément

  ➔ Relative Pronoun 'que'; Adverb of Manner ('obstinément'); Reflexive Verb Construction ('s'aime')

  ➔ "Qu'on" is a contraction of "que on". "Obstinément" is an adverb describing how they love each other. "S'aime" is a reflexive verb construction meaning 'love each other'.

• Si dans ta rétine, l'amour ne supporte plus la lumière du jour

  ➔ Conditional Clause with 'si'; Subjunctive mood (implied - more natural with subjunctive but grammmatically not necessary here)

  ➔ "Si" introduces a conditional clause. The present tense is used in both the 'si' clause and the main clause to indicate a possible or likely condition. While not *required* grammatically, this sort of hypothetical statement often feels more natural in French with the subjunctive mood (e.g., *supportât* instead of *supporte*), reflecting a higher degree of uncertainty.

• Je rallumerai les étoiles autour

  ➔ Simple Future Tense

  ➔ "Rallumerai" is the future simple tense of the verb "rallumer", meaning "I will relight."

• J'apprendrai à compter jusqu'à toujours

  ➔ Simple Future Tense; Infinitive after a Verb

  ➔ "Apprendrai" is the future simple tense of "apprendre", meaning "I will learn". "à compter" is the infinitive form, used after "apprendrai".

• Comme lèvres douces et peaux salées

  ➔ Comparison using 'comme'; Agreement of Adjectives

  ➔ "Comme" introduces a comparison, here describing the relationship. "Douces" agrees in gender and number with "lèvres" (feminine plural), and "salées" agrees with "peaux" (feminine plural).

• J'suis pas superstitieux

  ➔ Negative Construction with 'ne...pas'; Ellipsis (omission of 'ne')

  ➔ While grammatically 'Je ne suis pas superstitieux', in colloquial French, the 'ne' is often dropped, especially in songs. The 'pas' remains essential for the negation.