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[notforthemoney]

Below are a few translations of "Non, je ne regrette rien" (1960), a song of which I'm very fond. The most famous vocalist for the piece is Édith Piaf, "La Môme Piaf" (translatable as "The Waif Sparrow" or "The Little Sparrow"). It was one of the last songs she recorded before she died.

Both Piaf and the song summarize the French spirit quite well, I think. For those interested, there is a two-room museum in Paris dedicated to her, the Musée Édith Piaf (5, Rue Crespin du Gast).

None of the translations are mine and are credited as best I can. Some of the comments are there, too, as I found them relevant. Any spelling or grammatical errors belong to the various authors. The joys of the Internet. My translation would be roughly similar to any of these, but I prefer it in the original language.


"Tell me what you'd like to hear me sing. I'll sing whatever you like, after which I'll take up a collection, if you don't mind."
~ Édith Piaf (1915 - 1963)


Translation - French/English Lyrics:

Non, Rien de rien

No, nothing of nothing

Non, Je ne regrette rien

No, I don't feel sorry About nothing

Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait

Not the good things people have done to me

Ni le mal tout ça m'est bien égal

Not the bad things, it's all the same to me

Non, Rien de rien

No, nothing of nothing

Non, Je ne regrette rien

No, I don't feel sorry About nothing

C'est payé, balayé, oublié

It's paid for, removed, forgotten

Je me fous du passé

I'm happy of the past

Avec mes souvenirs

With my memories

J'ai allumé le feu

I lit up the fire

Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs

My troubles, my pleasures

Je n'ai plus besoin d'eux

I don't need them anymore

Balayées les amours

Broomed away my love stories ((I would use 'swept'. - A.))

Et tous leurs trémolos

And all their tremble

Balayés pour toujours

Broomed away for always ((Here, too. - A.))

Je repars à zéro

I start again from zero

Non, Rien de rien

No, nothing of nothing

Non, Je ne regrette rien

No, I don't feel sorry About nothing

Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait

Not the good things people have done to me

Ni le mal tout ça m'est bien égal

Not the bad things, it's all the same to me

Non, Rien de rien

No, nothing of nothing

Non, Je ne regrette rien

No, I don't feel sorry About nothing

Car ma vie, car mes joies

Because my life, my joys

Aujourd'hui, ça commence avec toi

Today, they begin with you


(( Copied from MetroLyrics.com ))


Another Translation:


No, nothing of nothing.
No, I regret nothing.
Not the good that One did to me.
Not the bad. All that to me is pretty equal.

No, nothing of nothing.
No, I regret nothing.
It's paid, swept away, forgotten.
I rid myself of the past.

With my memories, I lit fire.
My sorrows, my pleasures, I have no more need of them.
Swept away the loves, with their ups-and-downs.
Swept away for always. I leave again at zero.

No, nothing of nothing.
No, I regret nothing.
Not the good that One did to me.
Not the bad. All that to me is pretty equal.
No, nothing of nothing.
No, I regret nothing.
Because my life, because my joys,
today...That begins with You.

(( Flagamw1978 on February 26, 2010 ))


And yet another translation:


No, absolutely nothing
No, I regrette nothing
No the good that was done to me, nor the bad
It's all the same to me!
No, absolutely nothing
No, I don't regrette anything (i think the french lyrics were wrong here, it just said no, but it should say <> again)
It's paied, sweped away, forgotten, I don't care about it anymore!
With, my souvenirs, I light the fire
My saddness, my pleasures
I don't need them!

Sweep away the love
With their love songs, (a tremolos is a love song from the middle ages)
Sweep away everything
And I'll begin at zero (i'll start again, fresh)

No, absolutely nothing
No, I don't regret anything
No the good things that were done to me, nor the bad
It's all the same to me!
No, absolutely nothing
No, I don't regret anything
Because my life, because my joys
Today, begins with you! (by you, she's talking about god, because this some is basically a prayer. She dies five days after she sings this song and, at this point, knows that she is close to death. Thing song is a great symbol of her life and a means of tieing the ends together.)

(( Flagnflynn1811 on December 19, 2009 ))


Another take on the French lyrics...


Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait, ni le mal
Tout ça me bien égal
Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
C’est payé, balayé, oublié
Je me fus du passé

Avec mes souvenirs, j'ai allumé le feu
Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs,
Je n'ai plus besoin d'eux
Balayé les amours, avec leurs trémolos
Balayé pour toujours
Je repars à zéro

Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait, ni le mal
Tout ça me bien égal
Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Car ma vie, car mes joies
Aujourd'hui, ça commence avec toi

(( Flagothatzsokewl on June 23, 2012 ))


General Comment:


"Regarding the translation of "tremolos", the most appropriate English word is probably tremulous, which, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, has several closely related meanings pertaining to trembling of persons or things as well as a third definition: 'Characterized by use of the tremolo in singing. (nonce-use.)'

And I don't have anything to say about how heartbreakingly gorgeous this song is."

(( FlagSamTheVampire on July 07, 2010 ))


And... yeah...


No, No Regrets

No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
All the things
That went wrong
For at last I have learned to be strong

No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
For the grief doesn't last
It is gone
I've forgotten the past

And the memories I had
I no longer desire
Both the good and the bad
I have flung in a fire
And I feel in my heart
That the seed has been sown
It is something quite new
It's like nothing I've known

No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
All the things that went wrong
For at last I have learned to be strong

No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
For the seed that is new
It's the love that is growing for you

À la page des textes d'Edith Piaf
À la page des textes

(( FlagWingman1500 on May 10, 2010 ))


Lyric Correction:


"Interesting to read each individual translation of the words sung buy Edith Piaf in her song: No, Regret.
Why confuse yourself with your 'own' idea of what she is singing and trying to translate into English?
Go to the Master! (in this case Edith herself).
Listen to her sing this song in English, as she wrote the song, should not be she the one who knows what words she wanted it to reflect in English or in French?
Here are the words in English as sung by Edith Piaf on this YouTube recording of her.
Now lets get it right everyone."


NO, NO REGRET


NO, NO REGRET
NO, I WILLHAVE NO REGRET
ALL THE THINGS THAT WENT WRONG
FOR AT LAST I HAVE LEARNED TO BE STRONG

NO, NO REGRET
NO, I WILL HAVE NO REGRET
FOR THE GRIEF THAT WONT LAST
IT IS GONE, I'VE FORGOTTEN THE PAST

AND THE MEMORIES I HAD, I NO LONGER DESIRE
BOTH THE GOOD AND THE BAD
I'VE FLUNG INTO THE FIRE
AND I FEEL IN MY HEART
THAT THE SEED I'VE BEEN SOWN
IT IS SOMETHING QUITE NEW
IT'SLIKE NOTHING I'VE KNOWN

NO, NO REGRET
NO, I WILL HAVE NO REGRET
ALL THE THINGS THAT WENT WRONG
FOR AT LAST I HAVE LEARNED TO BE STRONG

NO. NO REGRET
NO, I WILL HAVE NO REGRET
FOR THIS SEED THAT IS NEW
IT IS THE LOVE THAT IS CRYING FOR YOU

(( FlagWingman1500 on May 10, 2010 ))


General Comment:


"This is my favourite french song it is beautifull meaningfull and sung with such vigor by Edith Piaf.I love it. I alawys listen to it when ever I am faced with difficulties. It has never fail to give me courage to overcome adverseries and difficulties.God bless the author of the song and the singer Edith Piaf.

Raymond Wunna.
(( Flagraymondwunna on May 04, 2010 ))


General Comment:


"Here's a much more literal translation that's still fairly readable/understandable in English. There are three instances where I capitalize nouns/pronouns (One, It, That). As another poster mentioned, there does seem to be a "spritual" component (not necessarily "God") to the song, so I use the caps to set off those words that seem to refer to something "greater"/broader than what might be immediately apparent..."

No, nothing of nothing.
No, I regret nothing.
Not the good that One did to me.
Not the bad. All that to me is pretty equal.

No, nothing of nothing.
No, I regret nothing.
It's paid, swept away, forgotten.
I rid myself of the past.

With my memories, I lit fire.
My sorrows, my pleasures, I have no more need of them.
Swept away the loves, with their ups-and-downs.
Swept away for always. I leave again at zero.

No, nothing of nothing.
No, I regret nothing.
Not the good that One did to me.
Not the bad. All that to me is pretty equal.
No, nothing of nothing.
No, I regret nothing.
Because my life, because my joys,
today...That begins with You.

(( Flagamw1978 on February 26, 2010 ))


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