Paroles et traduction Aristide Bruant - À la Bastille

À la Bastille

Son papa s'appelle Abraham,
Il est l'enfant du macadam,
Tout comm' sa môme en est la fille,
A la Bastille.

A quinze ans a s'app'lait Nini,
All' tait grosse et grass' comme un I,
A f'sait des travaux à l'aiguille,
A la Bastille.

Quand alle eut seize ans révolus,
A s'app'lait... je n'me rappell' pus,
A s'prom'nait autour de la grille,
A la Bastille.

On la rencontrait tous les soirs,
Parfois l'éclat d'ses grands yeux noirs,
Faisaient pâlir la lun' qui brille,
A la Bastille.

Maint'nant a sert dan' eun' maison
Où qu'on boit d'la bière à foison,
Et du champagne qui pétille,
A la Bastille.

Ses tables sont un rendez-vous;
Les jeunes, les vieux y vont tous;
I' faut voir comme a les étrille,
A la Bastille.

Mais si ses clients sont nombreux,
I' paraît qu' i's sont tous heureux:
Alle est si bonne et si gentille,
A la Bastille.

Pour eun' thune a r'tir' son chapeau,
Pour deux thun's a r'tir' son manteau,
Pour un sigue on la déshabille,
A la Bastille.

Alle a pas encore eu d'amant,
Alle a qu'son père et sa maman,
C'est ell' qui soutient sa famille,
A la Bastille.

Son papa s'appelle Abraham,
Il est l'enfant du macadam,
Tout comm' sa môme en est la fille,
A la Bastille.

At the Bastille

Her dad is called Abraham
She's the child of the street
Just like her mum is its daughter
At the Bastille.

At fifteen her name was Nini
She was big and fat like an I
She did needlepoint
At the Bastille.

When she was sixteen years old
Her name was... I can't remember
She'd walk around the railings
At the Bastille.

We'd see her every night
Sometimes the gleam in her big black eyes
Would make the moon look pale
At the Bastille.

Now she works in a house
Where they drink beer in abundance
And champagne that sparkles
At the Bastille.

Her tables are a meeting place
The young, the old, they all go there
You should see how she deals with them
At the Bastille.

But even though she has plenty of customers
It seems they're all happy
She's so kind and good
At the Bastille.

For a franc she takes off her hat
For two francs she takes off her coat
For a sign she takes off her dress
At the Bastille.

She's never had a lover
She just has her mum and dad
She's the one who supports her family
At the Bastille.

Her dad is called Abraham
He's the child of the street
Just like her mum is its daughter
At the Bastille.