Quand je suis ivre [English translation]

When I am drunk, drunk with sadness,

when I am drunk, drunk with helplessness,

I'd like so much to sober up1 and see again

the colors that faded away to mere shadows.

When I am drunk, drunk with carefreeness,

when I am drunk, drunk with expectations,

I take another sip, forgiving myself for my disappointments2,

eventually shooing them off into oblivion.

When I am drunk, drunk with sweetness,

when I am drunk, drunk with tenderness,

I relish the intense taste overwhelming my palate3,

wishing it could settle there and linger forever more.

When I am drunk, drunk with pleasure,

when I am drunk, drunk with happiness,

I don't want to ever sober up, hiding deep inside me

the spring that elated me so, to quench my thirst,

again and again.

1. "gris" can mean "tipsy" or "grey", so "dégriser" could be heard as "getting out of the grey".

"dégriser" is softer than the "dessoûler" she uses later on, but I couldn't find better than "sober up" for both.2. "déboire" literally means the sour aftertaste of alcohol3. "palais" can also mean "palace"