Valse de Melody – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Serge Gainsbourg

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a captivating journey into the world of Serge Gainsbourg with "Valse de Melody," a mesmerizing track from his iconic concept album "Histoire de Melody Nelson." This song offers a perfect entry point to discover the lyrical richness and musical innovation of French chanson, blending orchestral elegance with compelling storytelling. Learning French through this song allows you to appreciate Gainsbourg's poetic flair and the subtle nuances of his evocative language, making it a special piece for language learners and music enthusiasts alike.

[English]

The sun is scarce

And happiness is scarce too

Love loses its way

Through life

The sun is scarce

And happiness is scarce too

But everything keeps moving

In Melody's arms

The enclosing walls

Of the maze

Meet upon

the infinite

...

The sun is scarce

And happiness is scarce too

But everything keeps moving

In Melody's arms

The enclosing walls

Of the maze

Meet upon

the infinite

...

[French]

Le soleil est rare

Et le bonheur aussi

L'amour s'égare

Au long de la vie

Le soleil est rare

Et le bonheur aussi

Mais tout bouge

Au bras de melody

Les murs d'enceinte

Du labyrinthe

S'entrouvent sur

L'infini

Le soleil est rare

Et le bonheur aussi

Mais tout bouge

Au bras de melody

Les murs d'enceinte

Du labyrinthe

S'entrouvent sur

L'infini

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
soleil soleil A1	noun - sun
rare rare A2	adjective - uncommon, scarce
bonheur bonheur B1	noun - happiness, joy
amour amour A1	noun - love
égare égare B1	verb - to lose one's way, to stray
vie vie A1	noun - life
bouge bouge A1	verb - to move, to shift
bras bras A1	noun - arm
mélodie melodie B1	noun - melody
murs murs A1	noun - walls
enceinte enceinte B2	noun - enclosure, fence; (adj.) pregnant
labyrinthe labyrinthe B2	noun - labyrinth, maze
entrouvent entrouvent C1	verb - to meet or intersect (reflexive, poetic)
infini infini C1	noun - infinity, endlessness

Key Grammar Structures

• Le soleil est rare

  ➔ Present tense of 'être' (to be)

  ➔ The verb 'est' is the third-person singular present tense of 'être', used to describe a state of being.

• L'amour s'égare

  ➔ Reflexive verb construction

  ➔ The verb 's'égare' is reflexive, indicated by 's', meaning the action is done to the subject itself.

• Mais tout bouge

  ➔ Present tense of 'bouger' (to move)

  ➔ The verb 'bouge' is the third-person singular present tense of 'bouger', indicating ongoing action.

• Au bras de melody

  ➔ Preposition 'au' (to the) with partitive article

  ➔ The preposition 'au' combines with 'bras' (arm) to indicate 'to the arm of melody', showing possession.

• S'entrouvent sur

  ➔ Reflexive verb in present tense

  ➔ The verb 's'entrouvent' is reflexive and in the present tense, indicating an action performed by the subject on itself.

• L'infini

  ➔ Definite article with adjective

  ➔ The definite article 'l'' is used before 'infini' (infinite) to specify a particular infinite concept.