Tuesday, July 11, 2017

When we've nothing but love (Jacques Brel & Rob Weinert-Kendt)

  When we’ve nothing but love 
As the gift that we bear 
Then the path that we’re walking 
Is the passion we share 
                                      
When we’ve nothing but love 
Between lovers and friends 
Then each day is a voyage 
And the trip never ends 
                                    
When we’ve nothing but love 
As the promise we give 
And our treasure is faith 
Every day that we live 
                                    
When we’ve nothing but love 
To enliven our days 
And to brighten the dark 
In this city of grays 
                                     
When we’ve nothing but love   
As our reason and mind 
And the song that we sing 
And the help that we find 
                                   
When we’ve nothing but love 
To serve food to the poor 
To give clothes to the naked 
When they knock at the door 
                                    
When we’ve nothing but love 
That we offer in prayer 
To the evil that rages 
In the world everywhere 
                                      
When we’ve nothing but love 
When we answer the call 
Of the people who struggle 
Just to go on at all 
                                   
When we’ve nothing but love 
As our compass and guide 
To discern the best path 
When beset on each side 
When we’ve nothing but love 
To talk back to a gun 
And we’ve only got songs 
To convince war it’s done 

So we’ve nothing but love 
What is all this love worth? 
My friends, barely nothing, 
Just the whole blessed earth. 

--Rob Weinert-Kendt’s new (non-literal) translation 
of Jacques Brel’s Quand on n’a que l’amour

To hear this song sung hauntingly by Yael Naim, Carnélia Jordana, and Nolwenn Leroy in tribute to the victims of the November 2015 Paris attacks, click on the video below:

No comments:

Post a Comment