La femme d'Hector [English translation]

At our Babel's tower

Which one is the most beautiful

Which one is the most lovely among

Our friends' wives ?

Which one is our true nanny

The little sister of the poor of us

Always there in misfortune

Who is this nurturing fairy ?

It's not Bertrand's wife

Not Gontrand's wife

Not Pamphile's wife

It's not Firmin's wife

Not Germain's wife

Nor Benjamin's

It's not Honoré's wife

Nor Désiré's

Nor Théophile's

Even less Nestor's wife

No, it's Hector's wife!

As we often dance

before the buffet

We always have more or less

Our stockings riddled with holes

Who mends those afflictions

With multicolored threads

Who embroiders, heavenly seamish (1)

Rainbows to our socks ?

It's not Bertrand's wife

Not Gontrand's wife

Not Pamphile's wife

It's not Firmin's wife

Not Germain's wife

Nor Benjamin's

It's not Honoré's wife

Nor Désiré's

Nor Théophile's

Even less Nestor's wife

No, it's Hector's wife!

When we are caught with hand

Bloody good Lord, in a cookie jar

And we are sent to plant

Cabbages at the Santé (2)

Who is she that, following

The virtues of the faithful dogs

Stands in front of the door

Waiting for us to get out ?

It's not Bertrand's wife

Not Gontrand's wife

Not Pamphile's wife

It's not Firmin's wife

Not Germain's wife

Nor Benjamin's

It's not Honoré's wife

Nor Désiré's

Nor Théophile's

Even less Nestor's wife

No, it's Hector's wife!

And when one of us die

When they let us rest (3)

with cleaning the room

of our mortals remains

Who is she that stir the whole of Paris

To get, at the lowest fee

Massive funerals

Not national ones, no, but almost ?

It's not Bertrand's wife

Not Gontrand's wife

Not Pamphile's wife

It's not Firmin's wife

Not Germain's wife

Nor Benjamin's

It's not Honoré's wife

Nor Désiré's

Nor Théophile's

Even less Nestor's wife

No, it's Hector's wife!

And when comes may,

The pretty time of love

When, without echo, in the courtyards

We scream for love

Who is she who feels sorry for us

Who is she who flies into our arms

Who distributes its tenderness

All its savings of caresses

It's not Bertrand's wife

Not Gontrand's wife

Not Pamphile's wife

It's not Firmin's wife

Not Germain's wife

Nor Benjamin's

It's not Honoré's wife

Nor Désiré's

Nor Théophile's

Even less Nestor's wife

No, it's Hector's wife!

Let's not throw the pieces

Of our hearts to the piggies

Let's not loose our heads (4)

For the sake of the puppets

Let's not sing gods' speech

For the clumsy, the cheap (5)

The conceited nor the deceitful (6)

The dull nor the stuck-up (6)

Nor for Bertrand's wife

for Gontrand's wife

for Pamphile's wife

Neither for Firmin's wife

for Germain's wife

for Benjamin's

Nor for Honoré's wife

for Désiré's

for Théophile's

Even less for Nestor's wife

But for Hector's wife!

• Artist:Georges Brassens