Paroles et traduction Georges Brassens - La file indienne

La file indienne

Un chien caniche à l'il coquin,
Qui venait de chez son béguin,
Tortillant de la croupe et claquetant de la semelle,
Descendait, en s' poussant du col,
Le boulevard de Sébastopol,
Tortillant de la croupe et redoublant le pas.
Une midinette en repos,
Se plut à suivre le cabot,
Tortillant de la croupe et claquetant de la semelle,
Sans voir que son corps magnétique
Entraînait un jeune loustic,
Tortillant de la croupe et redoublant le pas.
Or, l'amante de celui-ci
Jalouse le suivait aussi,
Tortillant de la croupe et claquetant de la semelle,.
Et l' vieux mari de celle-là,
Le talonnait de ses pieds plats,
Tortillant de la croupe et redoublant le pas.
Un dur balafré courait sus
Au vieux qu'il prenait pour Crésus,
Tortillant de la croupe et claquetant de la semelle,
Et derrière le dur balafré
Marchait un flic à pas feutrés,
Tortillant de la croupe et redoublant le pas.
Et tous, cabot, trottin, loustic,
Epouse, époux, et dur et flic,
Tortillant de la croupe et claquetant de la semelle,
Descendaient à la queue leu leu
Le long boulevard si populeux,
Tortillant de la croupe et redoublant le pas.
Voilà que l'animal, soudain,
Profane les pieds du trottin,
Tortillant de la croupe et claquetant de la semelle,
Furieus' ell' flanque avec ferveur
Un' pair' de gifles à son suiveur,
Tortillant de la croupe et redoublant le pas.
Celui-ci la tête à l'envers
Voit la jalous' l'il grand ouvert,
Tortillant de la croupe et claquetant de la semelle,
Et l'abreuv' d'injur's bien senties,
Que j'vous dirai à la sortie,
Tortillant de la croupe et redoublant le pas.
Derrièr' arrivait le mari,
Ce fut à lui qu'elle s'en prit,
Tortillant de la croupe et claquetant de la semelle,
En le traitant d'un' voix aiguë
De tambour-major des cocus.
Tortillant de la croupe et redoublant le pas.
Le mari rebroussant chemin
Voit le dur et lui dit "gamin",
Tortillant de la croupe et claquetant de la semelle,
C'est trop tard pour me détrousser,
Ma femme vous a devancé,
Tortillant de la croupe et redoublant le pas.
Le dur vexé de fair' chou blanc
Dégaine un couteau rutilant,
Tortillant de la croupe et claquetant de la semelle,
Qu'il plante à la joie du public,
A travers la carcass' du flic,
Tortillant de la croupe et redoublant le pas.
Et tous, bandit, couple, loustic,
Trottin, cabot, tous, sauf le flic,
Tortillant de la croupe et claquetant de la semelle,
Suivir'nt à la queue leu leu
L'enterrement du flic parbleu,
Tortillant de la croupe et redoublant le pas. {2x}

The Indian File

A poodle with a mischievous eye,
Coming straight from his lover's sigh,
Swaying his rump and clicking his heels with glee,
Strolled down, with his nose held high,
The Boulevard de Sébastopol so spry,
Swaying his rump and quickening his pace, you see.
A shopgirl on her day of rest,
Took pleasure following this canine quest,
Swaying her hips and clicking her heels with zest,
Unaware that her magnetic form,
Drew in a young lad, quite the norm,
Swaying his rump and quickening his pace, quite warm.
Now, the lover of this young man,
Followed in jealousy, as women can,
Swaying her hips and clicking her heels, the plan,
And the old husband of this dame,
He trailed behind with his feet aflame,
Swaying his rump and quickening his pace, no shame.
A tough thug with a scar ran fast,
After the old man he thought had amassed,
Swaying his hips and clicking his heels, unsurpassed,
And behind the tough thug's stride,
A cop followed, trying to hide,
Swaying his rump and quickening his pace, with pride.
And all of them, poodle, girl, and bloke,
Wife, husband, thug, and the undercover spoke,
Swaying their rumps and clicking their heels, a joke,
Descended in a single file line,
Along the boulevard, oh so fine,
Swaying their rumps and quickening their pace, divine.
Suddenly, the animal so bold,
Desecrated the shopgirl's feet, I'm told,
Swaying his rump and clicking his heels, uncontrolled,
Furious, she landed with fervor and might,
A pair of slaps on her follower's sight,
Swaying her hips and quickening her pace, taking flight.
He, with his head hung low in disgrace,
Saw the jealous lover with a frown on her face,
Swaying her hips and clicking her heels, with no grace,
And showered her with insults well-meant,
Which I'll tell you later, my dear, don't fret,
Swaying his rump and quickening his pace, I bet.
Behind them arrived the husband, you see,
It was on him that she vented her spree,
Swaying her hips and clicking her heels, feeling free,
Calling him in a shrill voice so grand,
The drum major of all cuckolds in the land.
Swaying her hips and quickening her pace, hand in hand.
The husband, turning back with a sneer,
Saw the thug and said, "Listen here, my dear,"
Swaying his rump and clicking his heels, without fear,
It's too late to rob me, I declare,
My wife has beaten you, it's only fair,
Swaying his rump and quickening his pace, beyond compare.
The thug, vexed at being left behind,
Drew a gleaming knife of a wicked kind,
Swaying his hips and clicking his heels, unkind,
Which he plunged, to the public's delight,
Through the carcass of the cop in their sight,
Swaying his rump and quickening his pace, taking flight.
And all of them, thug, couple, and chap,
Shopgirl, poodle, all except the cop's mishap,
Swaying their rumps and clicking their heels, non-stop,
Followed in a single file line,
The cop's funeral, oh so divine,
Swaying their rumps and quickening their pace, just fine. {2x}