The nature of Love and 'Parole, Parole' in English

Near the end of June, I posted a video of 'Parole, Parole', one of my favourite songs, a popular duet by Alain Delon and Dalida. I only posted the original French lyrics. Today I realised I should have posted an English translation as well. It is such a wonderful, cynical and yet poignant love song. It is cleverly expressed as well.

There is always a problem in love. There are those who are compelled to speak their feelings, to attempt to describe them, to capture them in words. If not, there would be no great love poems or songs. On the other hand, there are those who fall in love with the idea of love and for whom, the expression of emotion in words is worth more than the actual reality of love.

Ultimately, the words of love are simple: 'I love you'. Nothing more, nothing less, and those words are meaningless if they are not founded on intention and action.

The woman in the song is weary of the dramatic expression of love without any real intention or action. The man glories in his depiction of romance and love without having any idea of what his 'beloved' actually feels. 'If you didn't exist, I'd have to invent you,' he declares.

No wonder she rejects his protestations... If only he simply had taken her in his arms and whispered his love while demonstrating the reality.

Nonetheless, being Alain Delon and Dalida, 'Paroles, Paroles' remains a very appealing 'love song'.

He: It's strange. I don't know what has come over me this evening. I look at you as for the first time.'

She: Words again, always words, the same words, nothing but words.

He: I don't know how to tell you but you are this beautiful story of love that I never stop reading:

You are yesterday and tomorrow,
Always my sole Truth.

She: Easy words, fragile words, too beautiful, Yes, very much too beautiful!
But the time of dreams is finished, the memories have withered also when one forgets them.

He: You are like the wind that makes the violins sing, and carries from far the perfume of roses.

She: Caramels, bonbons and chocolate.

He: At this moment, I do not understand you...

She: No thanks for me, but you can well offer them to another who loves the wind and the parfume of roses, For me, tender words enrobed in gentleness are placed next to my mouth but never my heart.

He: 'One more word'

She: Words, words, words

He: One more word

She: 'Words, words, words

He: Listen to me

She: Words, words, words

He: I beg you

She: Words, words, words

He: I swear to you

She: Words, words, words, again words that you cast on the winds.

He: Here is my destiny: to speak to you, to speak to you as for the first time.

She: Again words, always words, the same words, nothing but words

He: How I would love that you would understand me, that you would listen to me at least one time.

She: Magical words, tactical words, that sound false, yes, so false...

He: You are my forbidden dream, My only torment and my unique hope.

She: Nothing stops you once you start. If you only knew how I envy a little silence!

He: You are for me the only music that makes the stars dance on the dunes.

She: Caramels, bonbons and chocolates

He: If you did not exist, I would invent you!

She: No thanks for me, but you can well offer them to another who loves the stars on the dunes. For me tender words enrobed in sweetness, I place them on my mouth but never on my heart.

Words, words, words

He: One more word, only one word

She: Words, words, words

He: Listen to me

She: Words, words, words

He: I beg you

She: Words, words, words

He: I swear to you:

Oh how beautiful you are!

She: Words, words, words

He: Oh how beautiful you are!

She: Words, words, words, again words that you cast on the winds.

N.B. The actual song with lyrics in French is posted below.

'Parole parole' by Dalida and Alain Delon

'Parole, Parole' by Alain Delon and Dalida

I always considered this one of the greatest love songs of all time, mainly because of the combination of Alain Delon and Dalida. The song is in the form of a dialogue or rather two monologues between a man and a woman. He is obsessed with the need to communicate his emotions in poetic words, but she really has had enough of pretty words...



Photographic tribute to Dalida set to 'Paroles, paroles'

'Parole Parole'

Here is the text. It is in the form of a dialogue between a man and a woman:

Lui: C'est etrange. Je n'sais pas ce que m'arrive ce soir,
Je te regarde comme pour la premiere fois.

Elle: Encore des mots, toujours des mots, les memes mots,
Rien que des mots.

Lui: Je n'sais plus comme te dire
Mais tu es cette belle histoire d'amour que je ne cesserai jamais de lire.
Tu es d'hier et de demain
De toujours ma seule verite.

Elle: Des mot faciles, des mots fragiles,
C'etait trop beau, Oui, bien bien trop beau.
Mais c'est fini le temps des reves,
Les souvenir se fanent aussi quand on les oublie.

Lui: Tu es comme le vent
qui fait chanter les violins,
Et emporte au loin le parfum des roses.

Elle: Caramels bonbons et chocolats,

Lui: Par moment je ne te comprends pas,

Elle: Merci pas pour moi,
Mais tu peux bien les offrir a une autre
Qui aime le vent et le parfum des roses.
Moi les mots tendres enrobes de douceur
se posent sur my bouche mais jamais sur mon coeur.

Lui: Par moment je ne te comprends pas:

Une parole encore

Elle: Parole parole parole

Lui: Une parole encore

Elle: Parole parole parole

Lui: Ecoute moi

Elle: Parole parole parole

Lui: Je t'en pris

Elle: Parole parole parole

Lui: Je te jure

Elle: Parole parole parole
encore des paroles que tu semes au vent.

Lui: Voila mon destin: te parler, te parler comme pour la premiere fois.

Elle: Encore des mots, toujours des mots, les memes mots,
Rien que des mois.

Lui: Comme j'aimerais que tu comprennes
Que tu m'ecoutes au moins une fois.

Elle: De mots magiques des mots tactiques
qui sonnent faux, oui tellement faux.

Lui: Tu es mon reve defendu
Mon seul tourment et mon unique esperance.

Elle: Rien ne t'arrete quand tu commences
Si tu savais comme j'ai envie d'un peu de silence.

Lui: Tu es pour moi la seule musique
qui fait danser les etoiles sur les dunes.

Elle: Caramels, bonbons et chocolats

Lui: Si tu n'existais pas deja je t'inventerais

Elle: Merci pas pour moi
Mais tu peux bien less offrir a une autre
qui aime les etoiles sur les dunes
Moi les mot tendres enrobes de douceur
se posent sur my bouche mais jamais sur mon coeur.

Elle: Parole parole parole

Lui: Encore un mot juste une parole

Elle: Parole parole parole

Lui: Ecoute-moi

Parole parole parole

Lui: Je t'en pris

Elle: Parole parole parole

Lui: Je te jure

Lui: Que tu es belle

Elle: Parole parole parole

Lui: Que tu es belle

Elle: Parole parole parole
encore des paroles que tu semes au vent.

N.B. I don't know how to add the accents in French using the keyboard.