Thanks for writing! I finished the transcription for your post. I thought your idea of COVID-19 not being our "New Normal" particularly interesting. I think that's an uplifting idea, and I can not wait until we can go back to what is truly our real normal.
First off, thank you for writing back. That's a great question! To put it simply, Between the Bars asks for people to transcribe letters in order to help make them more accessible to search engines as well as translators and other visitors who may not know English. I personally do it because it's a way to keep busy during quarantine, and I have a passion for criminal justice. I come on here to read and transcribe the stories of prisoners so that they can know that someone somewhere has really read their writing and hears them. There is so little I can do to help in these times, but Between the Bars offers me a chance to help out, even in the smallest of ways. I hope this clears things up a bit.
Not sure you agree with the ending ;) The song is from 1962 and Brel, while one of the big names of French Chanson, for many the biggest, actually from Belgium... Warm greetings, Julia
RSS
First off, thank you for writing back. That's a great question! To put it simply, Between the Bars asks for people to transcribe letters in order to help make them more accessible to search engines as well as translators and other visitors who may not know English. I personally do it because it's a way to keep busy during quarantine, and I have a passion for criminal justice. I come on here to read and transcribe the stories of prisoners so that they can know that someone somewhere has really read their writing and hears them. There is so little I can do to help in these times, but Between the Bars offers me a chance to help out, even in the smallest of ways. I hope this clears things up a bit.
Live Long and Prosper! ( Star Trek :) )
All the best,
sona186
Girls
Ça joue au cerceau
They play hula hoop
Ça joue du cerveau
They play with the brain
Ça se joue tango
They’re played tango-style
Les filles
Girls
Ça joue l’amadou
They pretend to be made of tinder
Ça joue contre joue
Their game is rather cheeky
Ça se joue de vous
You are their fair game
Les filles
Girls
Ça joue à jouer
They play the game of playing
Ça joue à aimer
They play the game of love
Ça joue pour gagner
They play to win
Les filles
Girls
Qu’elles jouent les petites femmes
Whether they pretend to be young ladies
Qu’elles jouent les grandes dames
Or pretend to be great ladies
Ça se joue en drames
It’s always a drama play
Mais les chiens
But dogs
Ça ne joue à rien
They play no game
Parce que ça ne sait pas
Because they don’t know
Comment faut tricher
How to cheat
Les chiens
Dogs
Ça ne joue à rien
They play no game
C’est peut-être pour ça
That’s perhaps why
Qu’on croit les aimer
We think we love them
Les filles
Girls
Ça donne à rêver
Make you dream
Ça donne à penser
Cause you to think
Ça vous donne congé
They offer you a leave
Les filles
Girls
Ça se donne pourtant
Are nevertheless given
Ça se donne un temps
They are given for a time
C’est donnant donnant
It’s a give and take matter
Les filles
Girls
Ça donne de l’amour
Give you love
A chacun son tour
Everyone gets a turn
Ça donne sur la cour
They lead you to court…(-ship!)
Les filles
Girls
Ça vous donne son corps
Give you their body
Ça se donne si fort
They give it so strong
Que ça donne des remords
That you end up filled with remorse
Mais les chiens
But dogs
Ça ne vous donne rien
They give you nothing
Parce que ça ne sait pas
Because they don’t know
Faire semblant de donner
How to pretend that they are giving
Les chiens
Dogs
Ça ne vous donne rien
Give nothing
C’est peut-être pour ça
Maybe that’s why
Qu’on doit les aimer
We ought to love them
Et c’est pourtant pour les filles
And yet it is for the sake of girls
Qu’au moindre matin
That at any morning
Qu’au moindre chagrin
At the smallest grief
On renie ses chiens…
We disavow our dogs…
good to hear from you, also got your snail mail.
I wonder, did Jacques Brel write Pslam 152? In any case, this song comes to mind:
Jacques Brel: “Les filles et les chiens” (“Girls and Dogs”)
Les filles
Girls
C’est beau comme un jeu
It’s beautiful like a game
C’est beau comme un feu
It’s beautiful like a fire
C’est beaucoup trop peu
It’s way too little
Les filles
Girls
C’est beau comme un fruit
It’s beautiful like a fruit
C’est beau comme la nuit
It’s beautiful like the night
C’est beaucoup d’ennuis
It’s too much trouble
Les filles
Girls
C’est beau comme un renard
It’s beautiful like a fox
C’est beau comme un retard
It’s beautiful like a delay
C’est beaucoup trop tard
It’s way too late
Les filles
Girls
C’est beau tant que ça peut
It’s beautiful as long as it lasts
C’est beau comme l’adieu
It’s beautiful like a goodbye
Et c’est beaucoup mieux
And it’s much better
Mais les chiens
But dogs
C’est beau comme des chiens
It’s beautiful like dogs
Et ça reste là
And it stays there
A nous voir pleurer
Seeing us cry
Les chiens
Dogs
Ça ne nous dit rien
They tell us nothing
C’est peut-être pour ça
That’s perhaps for that
Qu’on croit les aimer
That we think we love them
Les filles
Girls
Ça vous pend au nez
They grab you from the nose
Ça vous prend au thé
They take you for a tea
Ça vous prend les dés
They get dicey
Les filles
Girls
Ça vous pend au cou
They grab you from the neck
Ça vous pend au clou
They nail shut you
Ça dépend de vous
It depends on you
Les filles
Girls
Ça vous pend au cœur
They grab you from the heart
Ça se pend aux fleurs
With flowers they ought to be hanged
Ça dépend des heures
It depends on the hours
Les filles
Girls
Ça dépend de tout
It depends on everything
Ça dépend surtout
It depends especially
Ça dépend des sous
It depends on money
Mais les chiens
But dogs
Ça ne dépend de rien
It depends on nothing
Et ça reste là
And it stays there
A nous voir pleurer
Seeing us cry
Les chiens
Dogs
Ça ne nous dit rien
They tell us nothing
C’est peut-être pour ça
That’s perhaps why
Qu’on croit les aimer
We think we love them