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La Mer

by Charles Trenet, singable vesion & translation by Janet Rayor ©2017 & ©2024
Translation for singing! Poetic-not precisely the same-yet substantially closer to French lyrics than Lawrence's lyrics "Beyond the Sea".
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English version up-graded ©June 2024!

The sea, see it dance

Playing along the long shore

N' when it showers, the sea shines bright

Splaying the light even more

 

The sea, reflects the summer sky

N' confounds those ivory sheep

Shepherd of blue, you watch the view

Revealing the angels as they greet you

 

See!  Circling the ponds

Tall reeds glistening green

See!   Homes a rusty red

White gulls caa-calling the sea . . .

 

The Sea swings along shore

To sing a song of l'amour

Waves of a tune of love for me,

For all of my life, for eternity!

La mer, qu'on voit danser
Le long des golfes clairs
A des reflets d'argent, la mer
Des reflets changeants sous la pluie

La mer au ciel d'été

confond ses blancs moutons
Avec les anges si purs
La mer, bergère d'azur infinie

Voyez, près des étangs
Ces grands roseaux mouillés
Voyez ces oiseaux blancs
Et ces maisons rouillées

La mer, les a bercés
Le long des golfes clairs
Et d'une chanson d'amour
La mer a bercé mon cœur pour la vie

Here is a more exact translation:

The sea that we see dance along the clear bay has reflections of silver.

The sea, changing reflections under the rain.

The sea to the summer sky confounds those white sheep with the angels so pure. 

The sea, shepherd of infinite azure.​

Look! Near the ponds, those tall reeds!  Look! Those white birds and those rusty homes!

The sea, rocks (like in a cradle) them along the clear bay

And in a love song, the sea cradled my heart for life.

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