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This is another Legion marching song. I seek some help in understanding it. I have some of it figured out, but some is still a mystery.
Overall, it seems to be a charming song about pretty girls and how the soldiers like to watch them. I will present it in pieces, with my understanding/best guesses in italics:
Les Cailloux (The Pebbles)
First Verse
Sous le sac que l'on porte (Under the backpack which one carries)
Qui pèse vingt kilos (Which weighs 20kg)
On marche comme des cloportes (One marches like wood lice/insects)
Et l'on courbe le dos (And ???)
Mais qu'une jolie fille (But when a pretty girl)
Vienne à passer par là (Comes close to us -- I don't understand the verb ???)
Aussitôt nos yeux brillent (Immediately our eyes brighten up)
Et nous marquons le pas. (And we ???)
A détailler son corps mignon, (I don't get this. Maybe we "check her out" ???)
On en oublie ses durillons. (And one forgets the corns on one's feet)
Refrain
Y a des cailloux sur toutes les routes (There are pebbles everywhere we march)
Sur toutes les routes y a des chagrins (Everywher we march has its hardships)
Mais pour guérir le moral en déroute (But to improve our morale as we travel ???)
Il y a des filles sur tous les chemins (There are girls on every road or path)
Y en a autant qu'il y a de pierres (The girls outnumber the stones)
Qu'il y a de fleurs dans les jardins (And they outnumber the flowers in the gardens)
Qu'il y a d'oiseaux sur la branche légère (As well as the birds in the branches of the trees)
Il y a des filles sur tous les chemins. (There are girls on every road or path.)
Il suffit de trouver celle dont a rêvé (something about it is sufficient that we dream about them ???)
Ainsi quand on pense à l'amour le chemin semble bien plus court (Thus when one thinks of love, the road seems shorter ???)
Y a des cailloux sur toutes les routes (There are pebbles everywhere we march)
Mais aujourd'hui comme demain (But today and tomorrow -- in other words, always)
Une raison suffit pour qu'on s'en foute (One reason suffices for [I don't get the rest] ???)
Il y a des filles sur tous les chemins (There are girls on every road or path)
Tags:
Here's my attempt -- I don't use the "one" direct translation of "on" because it seems old fashioned
First Verse
Sous le sac que l'on porte (Under the backpacks we carry)
Qui pèse vingt kilos (Which weigh 20kg)
On marche comme des cloportes (We march along like lice)
Et l'on courbe le dos (And we bend our backs)
Mais qu'une jolie fille (But when a pretty girl)
Vienne à passer par là (Comes passing by)
Aussitôt nos yeux brillent (Immediately our eyes brighten)
Et nous marquons le pas. (And we fall into step)
A détailler son corps mignon, (Appreciating her sweet body)
On en oublie ses durillons. (And we forget the corns on our feet)
Refrain
Y a des cailloux sur toutes les routes (There are pebbles on every road)
Sur toutes les routes y a des chagrins (Every road has its hardships)
Mais pour guérir le moral en déroute (But to improve our morale as we go marching)
Il y a des filles sur tous les chemins (There are girls on every road)
Y en a autant qu'il y a de pierres (As many girls as stones)
Qu'il y a de fleurs dans les jardins (Or as flowers in the gardens)
Qu'il y a d'oiseaux sur la branche légère (Or birds on the slender branches)
Il y a des filles sur tous les chemins. (There are girls on every road)
Il suffit de trouver celle dont a rêvé (We just have to find our dream girl)
Ainsi quand on pense à l'amour le chemin semble bien plus court (Thus when one thinks of love, the road seems much shorter)
Y a des cailloux sur toutes les routes (There are pebbles on every road)
Mais aujourd'hui comme demain (Today just like tomorrow)
Une raison suffit pour qu'on s'en foute (We don't care for one reason only)
Il y a des filles sur tous les chemins (There are girls on every road)
Very good! Merci! Thank you!
I'm wondering if it is significant that the soldiers march on routes, while the girls appear on chemins?
In the meantime, here is the rest of it, with my best guesses about the meanings:
II
Qu'elle soit brune ou blonde, (Whether she is brunette or blonde)
La fille que nous croisons (The girl that we happen upon)
C'est la plus belle du monde aux yeux du bataillon, (Is the most beautiful girl in the world to all of us)
Et pour le deuxième classe (And for the second class [who are THEY??])
Comme pour le commandant (Just as for the commander)
C'est de l'amour qui passe (something about this is a love that passes quickly???)
Est tout l'monde est content. (something about everyone is content???)
Nous nous r'dressons dans un frisson (I don't get this at all)
Et nous chantons à l'unisson. (And we sing in unison -- showing that we remain well-disciplined)
III
Le bon vieux légionnaire est un soldat fameux, (The good old legionnaire is a famous soldier)
On peut tout lui faire faire, il fait plus qu'il ne peut. (Something about how nobody can stop him??)
Il travers'ra les flammes mais toujours en chantant, (He will walk through flames, but always singing??)
En pensant à la femme, il a ça dans le sang, (When thinking about a woman, [I don't get the rest of it])
Et c'est pourquoi les troubadours font rimer amour et tambour. (And that's why troubadours rhyme "love" and "drum")
[The refrain is sung again here, and the song is finished.]
Le deuxieme classe - The lowest ranking Legionnaires, I have just learned, are called "deuxieme classe". So I guess these lines are:
And for the second class ranks,
As for the commandant,
This is love that passes (?)
And everyone is content
We straighten ourselves up without a shudder (of love?)
And we sing in unison.
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