In front of the green gate of his primary school
You recognize him straight away
Always the same gait with his cotton pullover
We know that he is a primary school teacher
He weeps from closure to the future new school year
From his last two classes, it appears to be because of the shortage of staff
But we are well aware of what is happening
We are the forgotten ones
The countryside, the abandoned
Those too far away from Paris
The least of their worries
They want to join together the nearby cantons into 30 pupils per classroom
This same philosophy that is transforming the nation into a shopping center
It was not bad enough for them that we have more grocery stores
That the doctors are packing up
There is no one left in town
There are only the banks shining on the main street
We are the forgotten ones
The countryside, the abandoned
Those too far away from Paris
The least of their worries
How sad is this town with all these roundabouts
Which make heads turn
How sad is this playground without the shouts of the kids
The balls into the windows
Even the sweet maker is wondering what she is going to do
With her sticky candies
Even the neighbor across is afraid, it troubles her
This silence in the school
We are the forgotten ones
The countryside, the abandoned
Those too far away from Paris
The least of their worries
When you're at the highest levels of the political scene
The pupils represent money
There are people on the field with chalk all over their hands
Who are seen as underlings
Those who close down schools, those who wear neckties
Are so often those
Those who will never see either from afar or nearby
A child in their eyes
We are the forgotten ones
The countryside, the abandoned
Those too far away from Paris
The least of their worries
We are third fiddle
Last share of the cake
The countryside, the abandoned
We are the forgotten ones
In front of the green gate of his primary school
Is the primary school teacher of the village
Kids are his entire life
Helping them make a future for themselves
He must move on
We are the forgotten ones