La première fille [English translation]

I have forgotten the campaigns

of Auserlitz and of Waterloo.

in Italy, in Prussia and in Spain,

in Pontoise and in Landerneau1 !

Never in your life

can you forget her,

the first girl

you held in your arms,

the first new girl

you called "tu"2

(my heart, do you remember her?)

How dear she was to us....

Whether she was a decent girl,

or a worthless girl,

whether she was a virgin

or she had plenty experience,

you remember her,

and you'll remember her,

the first girl

that you held in your arms.

My memories of Susie

have flown off pretty fast,

and I memory is unreliablle

about Julie, Rosette, and Lison !

Never in your life

will you forget her,

the first girl

that you helf in your arms,

It was wonderful

(my heart, do you remember?)

and I swapped my virtue

for a primrose3.

Whether it was very stylish

like the upper classes

or just in the street

like poor people or dogs

you remember her

you'll remember her,

the first girl

that you held in your arms.

You, who gave me the baptism

of love and of the seventh heaven,

me, I keep you and me, I love you,

my last present from Father Christmas4.

Never in your life

will you forget her,

the first girl

that you held in your arms,

it's all very well to try looking ready,

when she took of her clothes

(my heart do you remember it?)

I was thoroughly shaken up...

Plenty more, no doubt,

have come along since then,

yes, but, of all

those I have known,

she is the last

that I will forget,

the very first girl

that I took into my arms.

1. As far as I know there were no serious military campaigns in Pontoise (a suburb of Paris) and nothing in Lanerneau except maybe something in the 9th century AD when the vikings attacked much of Britanny. Perhaps Brassens was making the point that military history should be regarded as less worth remembering than first loves.2. the use of "tu" instead of "vous" recognises a very close friendship3. "spring flower" or "primrose" used as a symbol of the love which replaces virginity4. Once one ceases to be a virgin one is too old to believe any more in Father Christmas