Le modeste [English translation]

Countries, now that you have plenty of

People are born in Salamanca,

Paris, Bordeaux, Lille, Brest

Him birth took him

Around Saintes Maries1

He's a modest.

Like in the olden days did a king

He would stupid enough, I think

To give the throne and the rest

Against one camargue horse

Lame, old, one-eyed, exhausted,

He's a modest.

Followed by his stone pine2

If he flees without touhing ground

the slightest effort like the plague,

It's because at the workshop his Hercules arms

Would make the others ridicule,

He's a modest.

At the boules game3 when he looses,

Do not worry, daddy

If by chance he's contesting you4,

If he pouts, if he mistreats you

Deep down, he's happy for you,

He's a modest.

If, a pain in the arse puts him

In a rage, you'll never see him

Raise on the main a swift hand

It's because he doesn't think it's necessary

To humiliate an oppotent,

He's a modest.

And when he falls madly in love,

There's no danger for him to declare

Effusions, lady, he hates

According to him wearing his heart on his sleeve5

His heart or his ass it's the same,

He's a modest.

When an imbecile is buried

Of his friends if he mocks, if

His eyes are dry and he shows

No sorrow, don't you trust what you see

He is down in the dumps6,

He's a modest.

And if he calls you a foreigner,

May you be from Napoli, Angers

Or elsewhere, don't put on your jacket

Him when he adopts you, of course !

He doesn't want it to be said,

He's a modest.

If you don't act like a dunce

If you can read between the lines

Between the words, between the acts,

Then, You'll see right through him,

And that this playboy7,

He's a modest.

1. "Saintes Maries de la mer" is a coast city on the mediterranean near Sète, the homeland of Brassens, where, according to the legend the Virgin Mary and Mary-Magdalena accosted in Provence to spread Christianity.

It is now a pilgrimage for Roma Travellers.2. Litterally "umbrella pine" in french.3. Boules, or pétanque, is the traditionnal provencal game where taunting matters more than aiming.4. "s'il te conteste" provencal french for challenging someone.5. Litterally "Put your heart in the sun".6. "En avoir gros sur la patate" is a very colloquial expression meaning "having a lot on your potato" (noggin).7. Litterally "this beautiful advatageous".