Terrain – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Nono La Grinta

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw and authentic world of French rap with Nono La Grinta's "Terrain." This powerful track offers a compelling narrative of resilience and ambition, directly from the Parisian streets. By exploring its vivid lyrics, you can gain insight into colloquial French expressions and the cultural landscape of contemporary French hip-hop, making it a unique and impactful way to connect with the language.

[English]

If only you knew

Cutting, packaging in my room

All my youth I sold drugs

I remember when they used to sneer, today these guys are fans

Sometimes I crumble the purple weed

To forget all my wrongdoings

Nothing is like before anymore

From now on, we're the ones in charge

Focused, I'm bringing in money

Every weekend we party, party

Without thinking about tomorrow

New contract, new check, check

I don't put anything off until tomorrow anymore

On Snap, her booty shake, shake

She'd want me to ask for her hand in marriage

They'll only imitate you if you're good

We pray to reach the top

Gucci, Fendi, she wants both

Need cash, money, everyday

I wanted to end up like Barcola, but I ended up in the drug game

I mixed Coca-Cola, crazy drunk in building 22

We're not doing charity, we want to make it without stealing

Cash and luxury brands

She falls in love when I stare at her

Every night my mom lectures me

Soon I'll buy her a crown

Yet we told ourselves we were satisfied

In truth, truly, you were there for nothing

I know he wants the recipe, ops

Tonight we're dealing with him

Sometimes I think about it, I regret

Another injured, it was fate

Canada Goose in winter

In the streets of Paris, it's rough

If we have to do them, we'll do them

We do cash, don't ask me how much it is, it's too late, why are you coming back

I fulfill my dream all at once, I feel alive again

Fear of Eve, the taste of the grind is bitter

Gucci, Fendi, she wants both

Need cash, money, everyday

I wanted to end up like Barcola, but I ended up in the drug game

I mixed Coca-Cola, crazy drunk in building 22

We're not doing charity, we want to make it without stealing

Cash and luxury brands

She falls in love when I stare at her

I wanted to end up like Barcola, but I ended up in the drug game

I mixed Coca-Cola, crazy drunk in building 22

We're not doing charity, we want to make it without stealing

Cash and luxury brands

She falls in love when I stare at her

What? What? What? What?

What? What? What? What?

What? What? What? What?

What? What? What? What?

[French]

Si seulement tu savais

Couper, détailler dans ma chambre

Toute ma jeunesse j'ai vendu la came

J'me rappelle quand ils ricanaient, aujourd'hui ces mecs sont des fans

La beuh violette des fois je l'effrite

Pour oublier tous mes délits

Rien n'est plus comme avant

Dorénavant c'est nous les grands

Concentré, j'fais rentrer l'argent

Chaque week-ends on fait la fête, fête

Sans penser au lendemain

Nouveau contrat, nouveau chèque, chèque

J'remets plus rien à demain

Sur snap, son booty shake, shake

Elle voudrait qu'j'lui demande sa main

Il te calqueront que si c'est bien

On prie pour atteindre le sommet

Gucci, Fendi, elle veut les deux

Faut du cash, money, everyday

J'voulais finir comme Barcola, mais j'ai fini sur le terrain d'beuh

J'ai mélangé Coca-Cola, bourré de ouf dans le bat' 22

On fait pas du bénévolat, on veut s'en sortir sans voler

Du cash et des marques de luxe

Elle tombe love quand je la fixe

Tous les soirs la daronne me fait la morale

Dans pas longtemps j'lui achète une couronne

On s'était pourtant dit qu'on était gav'

En vrai des vrais toi tu étais là pour rien

Je sais qu'il veut la recette, ops

Ce soir on lui fait sa fête

Des fois j'y pense, je regrette

Encore un blessé c'était le destin

Canada Goose en hiver

Dans les rues de Paris ça craint

S'il faut les faire on va les faire

On fait cash me dis pas ça fait combien c'est trop tard pourquoi tu reviens

Je remplis mon re-vé d'un coup je revis

Peur d'Eve des poêles le goût est amer

Gucci, Fendi, elle veut les deux

Faut du cash, money, everyday

J'voulais finir comme Barcola, mais j'ai fini sur le terrain d'beuh

J'ai mélangé Coca-Cola, bourré de ouf dans le bat' 22

On fait pas du bénévolat, on veut s'en sortir sans voler

Du cash et des marques de luxe

Elle tombe love quand je la fixe

J'voulais finir comme Barcola, mais j'ai fini sur le terrain d'beuh

J'ai mélangé Coca-Cola, bourré de ouf dans le bat' 22

On fait pas du bénévolat, on veut s'en sortir sans voler

Du cash et des marques de luxe

Elle tombe love quand je la fixe

La quoi? La quoi? La quoi? La quoi?

La quoi? La quoi? La quoi? La quoi?

La quoi? La quoi? La quoi? La quoi?

La quoi? La quoi? La quoi? La quoi?

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
came /kam/ B2	noun - (slang) drugs, illicit merchandise
beuh /bø/ B2	noun - (slang) weed, cannabis
terrain /tɛ.ʁɛ̃/ A2	noun - ground, field, territory (often referring to an area for specific activities, e.g., drug dealing)
détailler /de.ta.je/ B1	verb - to cut into portions (especially for sale), to detail
effriter /e.fʁi.te/ B2	verb - to crumble, to break into small pieces (e.g., cannabis)
vendre /vɑ̃dʁ/ A1	verb - to sell
délits /de.li/ B2	noun - offenses, misdemeanors, crimes
argent /aʁ.ʒɑ̃/ A1	noun - money, silver
sommet /sɔ.mɛ/ B1	noun - summit, peak, top
luxe /lyks/ B1	noun - luxury
daronne /da.ʁɔn/ B2	noun - (slang) mother, mom
recette /ʁə.sɛt/ A2	noun - recipe, formula, proceeds, income
regretter /ʁə.ɡʁɛ.te/ B1	verb - to regret, to miss (a person or something)
bourré /bu.ʁe/ B2	adjective - (slang) drunk, stoned, full, stuffed
amer /a.mɛʁ/ B1	adjective - bitter (taste or figuratively, e.g., experience)
voler /vɔ.le/ A2	verb - to steal verb - to fly
chambre /ʃɑ̃bʁ/ A1	noun - room, bedroom
jeunesse /ʒœ.nɛs/ B1	noun - youth, young people
ricaner /ʁi.ka.ne/ B2	verb - to sneer, to giggle mockingly
concentré /kɔ̃.sɑ̃.tʁe/ B1	adjective - concentrated, focused

Key Grammar Structures

• Si seulement tu savais

  ➔ Conditional Mood: 'Si seulement' + Imperfect

  ➔ The phrase "Si seulement" followed by the Imperfect (savais) expresses a strong, often unfulfilled, wish or regret about a past or present situation. It translates to "if only".

• Toute ma jeunesse j'ai vendu la came

  ➔ Expression of Duration + Passé Composé + Informal Word Order

  ➔ The phrase "toute ma jeunesse" (all my youth) indicates a duration over which an action occurred, commonly used with the Passé Composé (j'ai vendu). The word order where the time phrase precedes the subject is common in informal spoken French.

• Rien n'est plus comme avant

  ➔ Negative Expression: 'Ne... plus'

  ➔ The negative structure "ne... plus" indicates that an action or state that existed previously no longer continues. Here, combined with "rien" (nothing), it means "nothing is as it was before anymore".

• Dorénavant c'est nous les grands

  ➔ Adverb of Time + Emphatic 'C'est' Construction

  ➔ The adverb "dorénavant" means "from now on" or "henceforth", marking a change in time. "C'est nous" is an informal but very common emphatic construction used to highlight the subject, instead of the more formal "Nous sommes".

• Sans penser au lendemain

  ➔ Preposition 'Sans' + Infinitive

  ➔ The preposition "sans" followed directly by an infinitive verb (penser) means "without doing something". Here, it indicates "without thinking about tomorrow".

• J'remets plus rien à demain

  ➔ Complex Negation: 'Ne... plus rien' + Idiomatic Expression

  ➔ This combines two negative elements: "ne... plus" (no longer) and "ne... rien" (nothing). Together, "ne... plus rien" means "nothing anymore" or "no longer anything". "Remettre à demain" is an idiom meaning "to postpone" or "to put off until tomorrow".

• J'voulais finir comme Barcola, mais j'ai fini sur le terrain d'beuh

  ➔ Imperfect (Past Intention) vs. Passé Composé (Past Outcome) + Contrast

  ➔ The Imperfect tense "j'voulais" (I wanted) expresses a past desire or intention that was not necessarily realized. The Passé Composé "j'ai fini" (I ended up) describes the actual, completed outcome, often contrasting with the original desire, as indicated by "mais" (but).

• On veut s'en sortir sans voler

  ➔ Pronominal Verb (Idiomatic) + 'Sans' + Infinitive

  ➔ "S'en sortir" is a pronominal verb that is an idiom meaning "to get out of a difficult situation", "to manage", or "to make it". The phrase "sans voler" (without stealing) specifies the condition or means of achieving this.

• On s'était pourtant dit qu'on était gava

  ➔ Plus-que-parfait (Past Perfect) + Pronominal Verb ('Se dire') + Concessive Adverb

  ➔ The Plus-que-parfait ("on s'était dit") describes an action completed before another past action, often implying a broken promise or understanding. "Se dire que" means "to tell oneself/each other that". "Pourtant" (yet, however) introduces a contrast or concession, indicating that despite what was said, the reality is different.