Sous le vent – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Garou, Céline Dion

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the powerful French ballad "Sous le vent" by Garou and Céline Dion. This iconic duet, released in 2001, offers a beautiful narrative of resilience and hope, expressed through heartfelt lyrics and harmonious vocals. Learning the French language through this song provides a unique opportunity to connect with the emotional depth and poetic beauty of French music.

[English]

And if you think I was afraid

That's not true

I'm giving my heart a vacation

A little rest

And if you think I was wrong

Wait

Breathe in the golden breath

That pushes me forward

And

Act as if I had gone to sea

I've hoisted the mainsail

And slipped under the wind

...

Act as if I were leaving Earth

I've found my star

I followed it for a moment

...

Under the wind

And if you think it's over

Never

It's just a break, a respite

After the dangers

And if you think I forget you

Listen

Open your body to the winds of the night

Close your eyes

And

Act as if I had gone to sea

I've hoisted the mainsail

And slipped under the wind

...

Act as if I were leaving Earth

I've found my star

I followed it for a moment

Under the wind

And if you think it's over

Never (Under the wind)

It's just a break, a respite

After the dangers

Act as if I had gone to sea

I've hoisted the mainsail

And slipped under the wind

...

Act as if I were leaving Earth

I've found my star

I followed it for a moment

Under the wind

Act as if I had gone to sea

I've hoisted the mainsail

And slipped under the wind (Hoho ho)

...

Act as if I were leaving Earth

I've found my star

I followed it for a moment, under the wind

Under the wind

...

Under the wind

...

[French]

Et si tu crois que j'ai eu peur

C'est faux

Je donne des vacances à mon cœur

Un peu de repos

Et si tu crois que j'ai eu tort

Attends

Respire un peu le souffle d'or

Qui me pousse en avant

Et

Fais comme si j'avais pris la mer

J'ai sorti la grand'voile

Et j'ai glissé sous le vent

Fais comme si je quittais la Terre

J'ai trouvé mon étoile

Je l'ai suivie un instant

Sous le vent

Et si tu crois que c'est fini

Jamais

C'est juste une pause, un répit

Après les dangers

Et si tu crois que je t'oublie

Écoute

Ouvre ton corps aux vents de la nuit

Ferme les yeux

Et

Fais comme si j'avais pris la mer

J'ai sorti la grand'voile

Et j'ai glissé sous le vent

Fais comme si je quittais la Terre

J'ai trouvé mon étoile

Je l'ai suivie un instant

Sous le vent

Et si tu crois que c'est fini

Jamais (Sous le vent)

C'est juste une pause, un répit

Après les dangers

Fais comme si j'avais pris la mer

J'ai sorti la grand'voile

Et j'ai glissé sous le vent

Fais comme si je quittais la Terre

J'ai trouvé mon étoile

Je l'ai suivie un instant

Sous le vent

Fais comme si j'avais pris la mer

J'ai sorti la grand'voile

Et j'ai glissé sous le vent (Hoho ho)

Fais comme si je quittais la Terre

J'ai trouvé mon étoile

Je l'ai suivie un instant, sous le vent

Sous le vent

Sous le vent

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
peur /pœʁ/ A2	noun - fear
repos /ʁə.po/ A2	noun - rest
souffle /sufl/ B1	noun - breath
vent /vɑ̃/ A1	noun - wind
mer /mɛʁ/ A1	noun - sea
étoile /e.twal/ A2	noun - star
dangers /dɑ̃.ʒɛʁ/ B2	noun - dangers
pause /poz/ A2	noun - pause
écoute /e.kut/ A2	verb - to listen
glissé /ɡli.se/ B1	verb - to slide
trouvé /tʁu.ve/ A2	verb - to find
quitter /ki.te/ B1	verb - to leave
cœur /kœʁ/ B1	noun - heart
fini /fi.ni/ A2	adjective - finished
t'oublie /tu.bli/ B1	verb - to forget

Key Grammar Structures

• Et si tu crois que j'ai eu peur, C'est faux

  ➔ Si clause (Hypothetical)

  ➔ Uses "si" + present tense + future/imperative/present tense to express a hypothetical situation. Here, it's "si" + present tense + present tense, indicating a general conditional statement.

• Je donne des vacances à mon cœur

  ➔ Indirect Object Pronoun (à + noun)

  ➔ "à mon cœur" indicates to whom the action of giving vacations is directed. "Cœur" is the indirect object.

• Respire un peu le souffle d'or

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ "Respire" is in the imperative mood, giving a command or instruction. It's directed to "tu" (you).

• Qui me pousse en avant

  ➔ Relative Pronoun "Qui"

  ➔ "Qui" refers to the preceding noun phrase, "souffle d'or" (golden breath), and acts as the subject of the verb "pousse".

• Fais comme si j'avais pris la mer

  ➔ Imperfect Subjunctive in 'Comme si' Clause

  ➔ "Comme si" (as if) introduces a counterfactual situation. The verb "avais pris" is in the pluperfect subjunctive, indicating an action that happened before the moment of speaking but is contrary to reality.

• J'ai sorti la grand'voile

  ➔ Passé Composé

  ➔ "J'ai sorti" is the passé composé, indicating a completed action in the past. The auxiliary verb is "avoir" and the past participle is "sorti".

• C'est juste une pause, un répit

  ➔ Use of 'C'est' + Noun

  ➔ "C'est" + noun is used to define or identify something. Here, it defines what the situation is – a pause and a respite.

• Ouvre ton corps aux vents de la nuit

  ➔ Possessive Adjective "Ton" and Preposition "Aux"

  ➔ "Ton" is a possessive adjective indicating that the body belongs to "tu" (you). "Aux" is a contraction of "à les", used before a plural noun. "Aux vents" means to the winds.