Vive Nous – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Louis Chedid

Lyrics & Translation

[French]

[English]

Le bonheur c'est fragile

Happiness is fragile

C'est bien plus difficile

It's much more difficult

Que d'décrocher la lune

Than to reach for the moon

Pour un funambule

For a tightrope walker

Ceux qui disent tout ça

Those who say all that

Surtout ne les crois pas

Especially don't believe them

Les sanglots des violons

The sobs of violins

Ne les écoute pas

Don't listen to them

Si tu leur donnes raison

If you give them reason

Gare à toi

Watch out for you

Si je leur donne raison

If I give them reason

Gare à moi

Watch out for me

Gare à nous

Watch out for us

Au moindre faux pas

At the slightest misstep

L'amour perd ses feuilles

Love loses its leaves

Il tourne de l'oeil

It turns a blind eye

Et tombe de son fauteuil

And falls from its chair

Ceux qui disent tout ça

Those who say all that

Surtout ne les crois pas

Especially don't believe them

Les sanglots des violons

The sobs of violins

Ne les écoute pas

Don't listen to them

Si tu leur donnes raison

If you give them reason

Gare à toi

Watch out for you

Si je leur donne raison

If I give them reason

Gare à moi

Watch out for me

Gare à nous

Watch out for us

Si tu ne m'aimes plus

If you no longer love me

Gare à toi

Watch out for you

Si je ne t'aime plus

If I no longer love you

Gare à moi

Watch out for me

Gare à nous

Watch out for us

Ta main dans ma main

Your hand in my hand

On fera du chemin

We'll make our way

Malgré les beaux discours

Despite the fine speeches

Des empêcheurs d'amour

Of love's hindrances

Garde moi près de toi

Keep me close to you

Garde toi près de moi

Keep yourself close to me

Les sanglots des violons

The sobs of violins

Ne les écoute pas

Don't listen to them

Tant que tu m'aimeras

As long as you love me

Vive toi

Long live you

Tant que je t'aimerai

As long as I love you

Vive moi

Long live me

Vive nous

Long live us

Si tu ne m'aimes plus

If you no longer love me

Gare à toi

Watch out for you

Si je ne t'aime plus

If I no longer love you

Gare à moi

Watch out for me

Gare à nous

Watch out for us

Tant que tu m'aimeras

As long as you love me

Vive toi

Long live you

Tant que je t'aimerai

As long as I love you

Vive moi

Long live me

Vive nous

Long live us

Tant que tu m'aimeras

As long as you love me

Vive toi

Long live you

Tant que je t'aimerai

As long as I love you

Vive moi

Long live me

Vive nous

Long live us

...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
bonheur /bɔ.nœʁ/ A2	noun - happiness
fragile /fʁa.ʒil/ B1	adjective - easily broken or damaged
décrocher /de.kʁo.ʃe/ B1	verb - to unhook or take down
lune /lyn/ A1	noun - moon
funambule /fyn.ɑ̃.by.l/ C1	noun - tightrope walker
sanglots /sɑ̃.ɡlɔ/ B2	noun - sobs
violons /vjɔ.lɔ̃/ A2	noun - violins
écoute /e.kut/ A2	verb - to listen
raison /ʁɛ.zɔ̃/ B1	noun - reason
amour /a.muʁ/ A2	noun - love
feuilles /fœj/ B1	noun - leaves
tourne /tuʁn/ A2	verb - to turn
tombe /tɔ̃b/ A2	verb - to fall
fauteuil /fo.tœj/ B2	noun - armchair
main /mɛ̃/ A1	noun - hand
chemin /ʃə.mɛ̃/ A2	noun - path or way
beaux /bo/ A2	adjective - beautiful
discours /dis.kuʁ/ B2	noun - speech or discourse

Key Grammar Structures

• Le bonheur c'est fragile

  ➔ Present tense to express a general truth.

  ➔ The phrase "Le bonheur c'est fragile" means "Happiness is fragile," indicating a universal truth about the nature of happiness.

• Si tu ne m'aimes plus

  ➔ Conditional clause to express a hypothetical situation.

  ➔ The line "Si tu ne m'aimes plus" translates to "If you no longer love me," indicating a condition that could affect the relationship.

• Tant que tu m'aimeras

  ➔ Subjunctive mood to express a wish or a condition.

  ➔ The phrase "Tant que tu m'aimeras" means "As long as you love me," indicating a condition that sustains the relationship.

• Les sanglots des violons

  ➔ Metaphor to convey deep emotions.

  ➔ The line "Les sanglots des violons" translates to "The sobs of violins," using music as a metaphor for sadness and longing.

• Garde moi près de toi

  ➔ Imperative form to give a command or request.

  ➔ The phrase "Garde moi près de toi" means "Keep me close to you," expressing a desire for closeness.

• Il tourne de l'œil

  ➔ Idiomatic expression to describe a sudden change.

  ➔ The phrase "Il tourne de l'œil" translates to "He turns a blind eye," indicating a sudden shift in attention or emotion.

• Au moindre faux pas

  ➔ Expression to indicate a risk or consequence.

  ➔ The phrase "Au moindre faux pas" means "At the slightest misstep," indicating the potential consequences of mistakes in love.