Paroles et traduction Cornelis Vreeswijk - Ballad om 100 år

Ballad om 100 år

Vad blir av alla fagra kvinns
Som varje man så gärna tar i?
Var tror ni Kleopatra finns
Och konung Eriks liten Kari?
Romeos Julia som var i
Ungdomens fagra blomningsvår
Är lika död som Mata Hari
Men vad gör det om hundra år?

Don Juan var en usel skurk
Han valde vägen som var bred, han
Sokrates tog en duktig slurk
Ur giftbägaren och for hädan
Han gjorde det med flit emedan
Hans fru var svartsjuk, sur och svår
Hon gifte säkert om sig sedan
Men vad gör det om hundra år?

Casanova är välbekant
Mången mö han övermannat
Och om allt han sagt är sant
Var han en så upptagen man att
Han knappast kan haft tid till annat
Han har gjort mer än en man förmår
Men även hans maskin har stannat
Och vad gör det om hundra år?

Var finns Potifars vilda fru
Hon som drog Josef ned i sängen?
Var finns sköna Susanna nu
Hon som plaskade i bassängen?
Fast hennes make var en sträng en
Blotta hon båd' barm och lår
Nog såg hon gubbarna i terrängen
Men vad gör det om hundra år?

Medborgare, vem kan förklara
Att döden aldrig stilla står?
Alla måste vi hädan fara
Men vad gör det om hundra år?

Ballad of 100 Years

What will become of all the fair women
That every man so willingly takes?
Where do you think Cleopatra is
And King Erik's little Kari?
Romeo's Juliet who was in
The beautiful springtime of youth
Is just as dead as Mata Hari
But what does it matter in a hundred years?

Don Juan was a lousy villain
He chose the path that was wide, he
Socrates had a good sip
From the poison cup and departed
He did it on purpose because
His wife was jealous, sour and difficult
She probably remarried then
But what does it matter in a hundred years?

Casanova is well-known
Many a woman he has overpowered
And if everything he said is true
He was so busy
That he hardly had time for anything else
He's done more than one man can
But even his machine has stopped
And what does it matter in a hundred years?

Where is Potiphar's wild wife
The one who dragged Joseph down to bed?
Where is beautiful Susanna now
The one who splashed in the pool?
Although her husband was a stern one
She showed both her breasts and thighs
She certainly saw the old men in the area
But what does it matter in a hundred years?

Fellow citizens, who can explain
That death never stands still?
We all must pass away
But what does it matter in a hundred years?