Quelqu'un m'a dit – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Carla Bruni

Lyrics & Translation

To learn the lyrical beauty and musical simplicity of French, there is no better starting point than Carla Bruni's signature Folk *chanson*, "Quelqu'un m'a dit." The song’s clear, understated delivery and poetic, yet accessible, vocabulary about love and hearsay make it a perfect immersion into the intimate style of contemporary French songwriting. You'll grasp both essential French phrases and the expressive, melodic rhythm of the language.

[English]

They tell me our lives aren't worth much

They pass in an instant, like roses wither

They say that time slipping by is a jerk

That it makes coats from our sorrows

Yet someone told me that

you still love me

It's someone who told me that

you still love me

Could it be possible then?

They tell me destiny doesn't care about us at all

That it gives us nothing and promises us everything

It seems happiness is within reach

So we reach out and end up going crazy

Yet someone told me that

you still love me

It's someone who told me that

you still love me

Could it be possible then?

Could it be possible then?

But who told me that you always loved me?

I don't remember anymore, it was late at night

I still hear the voice, but I don't see the face anymore

He loves you, it's a secret, don't tell him I told you

You see, someone told me that

you still love me

Did they really tell me that

you still love me

Could it be possible then?

They tell me our lives aren't worth much

They pass in an instant, like roses wither

They say that time slipping by is a jerk

That it makes coats from our sadnesses

Yet someone told me that

you still love me

It's someone who told me that

you still love me

Could it be possible then?

[French]

On me dit que nos vies ne valent pas grand-chose

Elles passent en un instant comme fanent les roses

On me dit que le temps qui glisse est un salaud

Que de nos chagrins, il s'en fait des manteaux

Pourtant quelqu'un m'a dit que

tu m'aimais encore

C'est quelqu'un qui m'a dit que

tu m'aimais encore

Serait-ce possible alors?

On me dit que le destin se moque bien de nous

Qu'il ne nous donne rien et qu'il nous promet tout

Paraît que le bonheur est à portée de main

Alors, on tend la main et on se retrouve fou

Pourtant quelqu'un m'a dit que

tu m'aimais encore

C'est quelqu'un qui m'a dit que

tu m'aimais encore

Serait-ce possible alors?

Serait-ce possible alors?

Mais qui est-ce qui m'a dit que toujours, tu m'aimais?

Je ne me souviens plus, c'était tard dans la nuit

J'entends encore la voix, mais je ne vois plus les traits

Il vous aime, c'est secret, lui dites pas que je vous l'ai dit

Tu vois, quelqu'un m'a dit que

tu m'aimais encore

Me l'a-t-on vraiment dit que

tu m'aimais encore

Serait-ce possible alors?

On me dit que nos vies ne valent pas grand-chose

Elles passent en un instant comme fanent les roses

On me dit que le temps qui glisse est un salaud

Que de nos tristesses, il s'en fait des manteaux

Pourtant quelqu'un m'a dit que

tu m'aimais encore

C'est quelqu'un qui m'a dit que

tu m'aimais encore

Serait-ce possible alors?

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
vie /vi/ A2	noun - life
instant /ɛ̃s.tɑ̃/ B1	noun - moment, instant
rose /ʁoz/ A1	noun - rose (flower)
temps /tɑ̃/ A1	noun - time
salaud /sa.lo/ C1	noun - bastard, scoundrel (vulgar)
chagrin /ʃa.ɡʁɛ̃/ B2	noun - sorrow, grief
manteau /mɑ̃.to/ A2	noun - coat, overcoat
destin /dɛs.tɛ̃/ B2	noun - destiny, fate
bonheur /bɔ.nœʁ/ B1	noun - happiness, bliss
main /mɛ̃/ A1	noun - hand
nuit /nɥi/ A1	noun - night
voix /vwa/ A1	noun - voice
secret /sə.kʁɛ/ B1	adjective - secret, hidden noun - secret
possible /pɔ.si.bl/ B1	adjective - possible, doable
fou /fu/ B1	adjective - crazy, mad
dire /diʁ/ A1	verb - to say, to tell
aimer /e.me/ A1	verb - to love, to like
passer /pa.se/ A1	verb - to pass, to go by; to spend (time)
valoir /va.lwaʁ/ B2	verb - to be worth, to cost
glisser /gli.se/ B2	verb - to slip, to slide
faire /fɛʁ/ A1	verb - to do, to make
donner /dɔ.ne/ A1	verb - to give
promettre /pʁɔ.mɛtʁ/ B2	verb - to promise
se moquer /sə mɔ.ke/ B2	verb - to mock, to make fun of
retrouver /ʁə.tʁu.ve/ B2	verb - to find again; to meet again
entendre /ɑ̃.tɑ̃dʁ/ A2	verb - to hear; to understand (a language)
voir /vwaʁ/ A1	verb - to see

Key Grammar Structures

• On me dit que nos vies ne valent pas grand-chose

  ➔ Negative construction with ne…pas + subordinate clause introduced by que

  ➔ The phrase "ne" … "pas" marks the negation: "nos vies **ne** valent **pas** grand‑chose" means “our lives are **not** worth much”.

• Que de nos chagrins, il s'en fait des manteaux

  ➔ Exclamatory structure "Que de" expressing a large quantity

  ➔ "**Que de**" introduces an exclamation meaning “so many”. Here it emphasizes the amount of sorrows: "**Que de** nos chagrins…"

• Serait‑ce possible alors ?

  ➔ Conditional present with inversion for a polite question

  ➔ The conditional "serait" plus the inverted pronoun "‑ce" forms a polite question: "**Serait‑ce** possible?" – “Would it be possible?”.

• Je ne me souviens plus, c'était tard dans la nuit

  ➔ Negative expression with "ne…plus" and past imperfect

  ➔ "**ne**…**plus**" negates the memory: "je **ne** me souviens **plus**" = “I no longer remember”. The verb "c'était" is in the imperfect, indicating a past background.

• Il vous aime, c'est secret, lui dites pas que je vous l'ai dit

  ➔ Negative imperative with pronoun placement and past perfect "l'ai dit"

  ➔ The negative command "**dites pas**" (do not tell) places the object pronoun after the verb. "je vous **l'**ai dit" contracts "le" to "l'" before "ai".

• Me l'a‑t‑on vraiment dit que tu m'aimais encore

  ➔ Inverted passive interrogative with pronoun clitic "l'" and indirect question introduced by "que"

  ➔ "**Me l'**a‑t‑on" is the inverted passive form of "on m'a dit" (someone told me). The clitic "l'" stands for "le" (it). The clause "que tu m'aimais encore" is an indirect question.

• Paraît que le bonheur est à portée de main

  ➔ Impersonal expression "paraît que" + idiomatic phrase "à portée de"

  ➔ "**Paraît que**" introduces a reported observation (it seems that). "à **portée de** main" is an idiom meaning “within reach”.

• Alors, on tend la main et on se retrouve fou

  ➔ Verb phrase "tendre la main" (to reach out) + reflexive verb "se retrouver"

  ➔ "**tend** la main" means “to extend a hand”. "**se retrouve**" is a reflexive verb meaning “to end up” or “to find oneself”.