Sarbacane [English translation]

We thought we knew it all, about love,

Since forever.1

Our bodies by heart, our hearts all warmed up

In soft sweaters.2

And then you strike, my little one,3

Like a dart blown from a blowpipe gun.4

The sky just turned a brighter blue,5

All since you.6

All men pursue, we've done it

Since... you do the math.7

Then, bang! You show up,

And light up my way to a clear path.8

Arms climb round my neck, a clinging vine9

Lips, the mouthpiece of a reed, face mine10

The heavens opened, all made new,11

All since you.

There's no need for words, or to make a sound,12

There's a change in me, there's change all around.13

Gone are those mornings of eyelids that strain,14

Heavy as full tanks of propane.15

I've lost my head, so much to do,16

All since you.

There's no need for words, or to be profound,17

There's a change in me, there's change all around.

Promise we'll never grow distant, apart,18

Fly no farther than a blowpipe dart.19

I've lost my head, my brain's askew,16

All since you.

And there you are, my little one,

Like a dart blown from a blowpipe gun

The heavens opened, all made new,

All since you.

Oh, all since you.

1. "Since forever" isn't a grammatically correct English expression, but as slang it works here. It meets the need for a rhyme, and it makes sense while sounding slightly quirky, as if the narrator is reaching for the right words.2. Lit., "in velvet." Changed for the rhyme.3. Lit., "And then look at you, short/petite woman". However, bout de femme is an idiom that most often refers to a little girl; specifically, to a strong, determined, and spirited little girl. In the official music video for the song, available at www.jukebox.fr/francis-cabrel/clip,sarbacane,38m8x.html, we see that the lyrics are not referring to a romantic interest, but definitely to a little girl – to Cabrel's young daughter. This interpretation is clear to the ears of a French listener.4. Lit., "As though blown from a blowpipe." Cabrel's lyrics never refer to a dart at all, but in English it seems to make more sense to add "dart" here, and especially in the title. This is because the French word sarbacane refers to a plant, but the English word "blowpipe" doesn't. Standing alone as a title, the possible nuances are even vaguely obscene, unless we clarify it by adding "dart" or "gun."5. Lit., "The sky even has another brightness"6. Lit., "Since you." I added "all" to maintain the rhythm.7. Lit., "Men pursue, in this day and age, and always have." The slang expression "you do the math" is an unfaithful translation made for the purpose of the rhyme. This deliberately follows up the slightly awkward phrase "Since forever" by conveying a meaning of "Since... I give up! You figure it out. Since an incalculably long time ago."8. Lit., "Behold! You arrive, and all becomes clear [or bright] on my path."9. Lit., "Hung from my neck like a [clinging or climbing] vine"10. Lit., "Like the reed [or cane] of a blowpipe." I think my version reflects a visual image that Cabrel probably intended – if she is like a blowpipe reed hanging from a vine around his neck, and her face and mouth are tilted up to look at him, then her lips are the open end of the blowpipe where one would put one's lips to fire a dart (or to kiss the girl).11. Lit., "The heavens opened in places"12. Lit., "for sentences or for long speeches"13. Lit., "That changes everything inside [me]; that changes everything around [me]."14. Lit., "No more mornings [with] eyelids that don't work".15. Heavy eyelids, too heavy to open; thus, the narrator used to strain to open his eyes in the morning. In the U.S., propane is the fuel sold in cylinders for use in outdoor gas grills, not butane as in Europe. (Previous translations refer to Calor, a U.K.-based brand name, unfamiliar to the rest of the world.)16. a. b. Lit., "I've almost completely lost my head."17. Lit., "No need for making too-long speeches"18. Lit., "Provided you never distance yourself"19. Lit., "Farther than the range of a blowpipe."