Jacques Brel "Mon enfance" lyrics

Mon enfance

Mon enfance passaDe grisailles en silencesDe fausses révérencesEn manque de bataillesL'hiver j'étais au ventreDe la grande maisonQui avait jeté l'ancreAu nord parmi les joncsL'été à moitié nuMais tout à fait modesteJe devenais indienPourtant déjà certainQue mes oncles repusM'avaient volé le Far West

Mon enfance passaLes femmes aux cuisinesOù je rêvais de ChineVieillissaient en repasLes hommes au fromageS'enveloppaient de tabacFlamands taiseux et sagesEt ne me savaient pasMoi qui toutes les nuitsAgenouillé pour rienArpégeais mon chagrinAu pied du trop grand litJe voulais prendre un trainQue je n'ai jamais pris

Mon enfance passaDe servante en servanteJe m'étonnais déjàQu'elles ne fussent point plantesJe m'étonnais encoreDe ces ronds de familleFlânant de mort en mortEt que le deuil habilleJe m'étonnais surtoutD'être de ce troupeauQui m'apprenait à pleurerQue je connaissais tropJ'avais l'œil du bergerMais le cœur de l'agneau

Et mon enfance éclataCe fut l'adolescenceEt le mur du silenceUn matin se brisaCe fut la première fleurEt la première filleLa première gentilleEt la première peurJe volais je le jureJe jure que je volaisMon cœur ouvrait les brasJe n'étais plus barbare

Et la guerre arriva

Et nous voilà ce soir.

My Childhood

My childhood passedIn silent greynessIn false respectfulnessIn a lack of battles.In the winter, I was held in the bellyOf the large houseThat had thrown the anchorTo the north amid the seagrass mats

In the summer, half-nakedbut always modestI would become an IndianSomehow already certainThat my smug unclesHad stolen the Far West from me.

My childhood passedWith women in the kitchenWhere I would dream of ChinaGetting older around the tableThe men eating cheese,Envelopped in clouds of tobaccoTaciturn, intelligent Flemish menWho didn't know about meMe, who, every nightWould kneel down for nothingIncreasing my unhappinessAt the foot of the too-big bed.I wanted to get on a trainThat I had never taken.

My childhood passedGoing from one servant to anotherI was already surprisedThat they never stayed the sameI was surprised againBy all the family circlesHow easily they went from one death to anotherAnd by the formal mourning.I was surprised through all of itTo be one of this flockThat taught me to cryThis flock that I knew too well.I had the eye of a shepherdBut the heart of a sheep

And then my childhood burst openThat was adolescenceAnd the wall of silencetumbled down one morning.This was the first flowerAnd the first girlThe first gentlenessAnd the first fear.I was flying, I swearI swear that I was flyingMy heart was opening its armsI was no longer a barbarian

And then the war arrived.

And here we are tonight.