En T'attendant Lyrics in English by Mélanie Laurent

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song En T'attendant by Mélanie Laurent from French to English.

These lyrics have verified word for word translations. Click any lyric word to see the translation and hear the pronunciation!

I wink at the clouds

Eyelash flutters

I defy the biggest storms

Umbrella in exile

I swim breaststroke in fresh water

A little clumsy

Sandcastles in the foam

Ephemeral and not straight

Time takes its sweet time

And I lose mine

I invent childish games for myself

I do little with nothing

Time has a good time

And I get bored with mine

I invent games that are worth nothing

I do little but I do it well

While waiting for you

I make bubbles in rosewater

I drown for a love

On the horizon of gloomy nights

Stubborn, I go, I run

I make smoke rings

With my cigarettes

I let the beautiful years burn away

But I only do as I please

I make musical scores on the ground

With India ink

Melodies for school days

Easy and without thorns

I make ripples in the bath

Twenty thousand leagues under the seas

I pour your perfume into the water

Sink and then take some air

Time takes its sweet time

And I lose mine

I invent childish games for myself

I do little with nothing

Time has a good time

And I get bored with mine

I invent games that are worth nothing

I do little but I do it well

And you from time to time

You would pass into mine

We would play like children

Sun in our mornings

While waiting

And you from time to time

You would pass into mine

We would play at pretending, perhaps

But doing it well

Did you like this lyrics translation?

éphémères — ephemeral

Éphémères translates to "ephemeral," meaning lasting for a very short time. It's a beautiful and somewhat poetic word that isn't heard in everyday conversation, making it quite memorable.

In the song, Mélanie Laurent sings about building "châteaux de sable dans la mousse, éphémères et pas droits" (sandcastles in the moss, ephemeral and not straight). This word perfectly captures the fleeting nature of these childhood games and, by extension, the passage of time while waiting for someone.

Have you ever been waiting for someone so long that time seems to stretch and bend? In "En T'attendant," which means "While Waiting for You," Mélanie Laurent captures this feeling perfectly. The song is a beautiful list of all the whimsical, childlike, and sometimes lonely things she does to pass the time. She describes winking at clouds, building crooked sandcastles, and making smoke rings with her cigarettes. These aren't grand actions; she calls them "childish games" that are "worthless," but they are her way of coping with the slow passage of time.

The chorus reveals the heart of the song: while time seems to be having a good time, she feels like she's losing or bored with her own. All these small, imaginative activities are just ways to fill the space while waiting for you. The song beautifully expresses a feeling of hopeful patience, dreaming of a time when the person she's waiting for will join her, and they can "play like children" together. It's a sweet and relatable tune about how we occupy ourselves while anticipating a reunion with someone special.

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Mélanie Laurent En T'attendant Lyrics