Below is my poetic translation of ‘Mon Enfance’ by Jacques Brel. Particular attention has been paid to keeping the rhyme and flow of the piece while retaining the poetic origins of the French lyric.
My Childhood (Poetic Translation)
My childhood passed by
In grey silence
In false reverence
And a lack of fights
In winter I was held
In the belly of a big house
That had thrown down its anchors
In the weeds in the south
In spring half nude
But completely modest
I became a red Indian
Already completely certain
That my uncles had stolen
The far west from me
My childhood passed by
With women in the kitchen
Dreaming of china
Growing old on the side
Men at the table
Enveloped in smoke
Strong, wise and thoughtful
And they thought that I was a joke
Me who every night
Arpeggiated all my sorrow
Praying to a god I’d never know
At foot of a double bed
I wanted to go on an adventure
I haven’t been on yet
My childhood passed by
From maid to maid
I was always surprised
When they never stayed
I was surprised once again
To be part of this family
Strolling from death to death
Without having time to grieve
I was surprised and shocked
To be one of this flock
Being seen but never heard
Learning to cry myself to sleep
I had the eyes of the shepherd
But the heart of the sheep
Then my childhood blew up
Here was adolescence
And the wall of silence
One morning tumbled down
Here was the first flower
The first cheer
The first lover
The first fear
I was flying I swear
I swear I was flying
My heart was opening wide
I was no longer uncivilised
Then the war arrived
And here we are tonight
Collecting Brel 