Perlimpinpin [English translation]

For whom, how, when and why?

Against whom? How? Against what?

Enough with your violences.

Where do you come from?

Where are you going?

Who are you?

Who do you pray to?

I ask you to be silent.

For whom, how, when and why?

If it's absolutely necessary for us to be

Against someone or something.

I am for the setting sun

At the top of the deserted hills.

I am for the deep forests.

Because a child who cries,

No matter where he is from,

Is a child who cries.

Because a child who dies,

At the end of your rifles,

Is a child who dies.

How appalling it is to have to choose

Between two innocence's.

How appalling it's to have for enemies

The laughs of childhood!

For whom, how, when and how much?

Against whom? How and how much?

To the point of losing the taste of living

The taste of water, the taste of bread

And the one of the Perlimpinpin²

In the Square des Batignolles

But for nothing, but for almost nothing,

To be with you and that's fine!

And for an half-open rose,

And for a breathing,

And for a breeze of abandon,

And for a shivering garden!

Having nothing, but passionately,

Frantically not saying anything to one another

But give everything ecstatically

And wealthy with deprivation

Only have one's own truth,

Own all the wealths.

Not speaking of poetry

While trampling down wild flowers.

And invoke transparence,

At the back of a yard with grey walls

Where dawn never stands a chance.

Against whom, how, against what?

For whom, how, when and why?

To find back the taste of living,

The taste of water, the taste of bread

And the one of Perlimpinin

In the Square des Batignolles

Against no one and against nothing,

But for all the open flowers,

But for a breathing,

But for a breeze of abandon

And for that shivering garden!

And to live passionately

And to fight only

with the fires of the tenderness

And wealthy with deprivation

Only have one's own truth,

Own all the wealth

Not speaking of poetry anymore

But let the wild flowers live

And invoke transparency

At the back of a yard with grey walls

Where dawn would finally stand a chance

To live,

To live,

And to live passionately

And fight only

with the fires of the tenderness

And wealthy with deprivation

Only have one's own truth

Own all the wealth

Nothing else but tenderness as only wealth

And to give,

But to give,

ecstatically!

To live,

To live,

With tenderness,

To live,

To live,

ecstatically!

Nothing else but tenderness as only wealth

And to give,

But to give,

ecstatically!