Below is my poetic translation of “Jacky”/”La Chanson De Jacky” 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.
Lyrics
Even if one day in Knokke Le Zoutte
I become as I always dreaded to
A singer for women nearing the end
Even if I sing ‘Mi Corazon’
With a voice like the instrument
Of an Argentine from Carcassonne
Even if they called me Antonio
And all my fires I would burn
When I gave them some they'd know, Madam
I expect some in return
Even if I get drunk on mead
And talk about virility
To some old grandmothers that might be
Dressed up just like Christmas trees
I know that in my drunkography
All night pink elephants I’d see
They’d sing that gloomy song to me
About the time they’d call me Jacky
If I could be, just for one hour
If I could be, for an hour, every day
If I could be, just for one little hour
Cute, but stupid all the same
Even if one day down in Macau
I opened up a gambling house
Surrounded by lusty young women
Even if I tired of being the singer
I could become the blackmailer
And they'd pay to stop me singing
Even if they call me handsome Serge
And I sold boats of opium
Whisky from Clermont-Ferrand
Real fags and fake virgins
I’d have a bank on every finger
And a finger in every country
And every country ruled by me
I’d still know where I’d rather be
Locked up inside my opium den
Surrounded by my chinamen
I’d sing my own song again
About the time they’d call me Jacky
If I could be, just for one hour
If I could be, for an hour, every day
If I could be, just for one little hour
Cute, but stupid all the same
Even if one day up in heaven
I sang for all the white winged women
Who’d get down on their knees and pray
Even If I sang Hallelujah
And regretted all my times ‘down there’
When not every day is Sunday
Even if they called me god on high
And all their prayers I would hear
From my landline in the sky
Even if I grew a beard
Even if I did everything just right
And gave away my heart and my mind
Just to comfort all mankind
I’d still know that every night
Up here in my paradise
The angels, saints and Lucifer
Would sing that song that I preferred
About the time they called me Jacky
If I could be, just for one hour
If I could be, for an hour, every day
If I could be, just for one little hour
Cute, but stupid all the same
Collecting Brel 