La Fille et le Chien [English translation]

Midnight shows up1 in the sobbing wind.

Everything seems dark in the huge sleeping Paris

It's cold and it's pouring,

enough to make a dog howl2

Now here comes a mongrel up there

Hey buddy, come here, show me your face

Would you happen to have no kennel, just like me,

to find shelter in the rainy evenings?

Poor old dog, you look miserable,

yet you got an honest face,

and I can see sweetness in your eyes

even though you're just an animal

Easy now, you're licking my hand

Go ahead, no harm done

I'm but a poor broad, and you're but a poor mongrel

It's a pleasure to meet you.

You sure don't belong to a rich old bag

You stink a bit and you've got no tag3

You're a beggar just like I am a tramp

we share the same fate4

Don't have a lot of fat on you. Had nothing to eat I bet

I know the feeling. I don't eat every day either

You get beat more often than you get fed

As for me, in order to eat, I sell love

Poor old dog, you really look like

you understand my life of misery.

As you sadly stare at me

I think I see a tear in your eye

Really, we share the same lot

and your life is not worth more than mine

You can curse your fate as much as I curse mine,

and plan to take revenge upon it5.

Tonight there's nobody but us in the street

We see no passer-bys on our way

Yet another night when nobody

will take care of the broad nor the mongrel.

All shivering in the biting wind that blows

come, we'll find shelter under some bridge

And since we are companions in misery

I'll be your pal, we will stick together

Poor old dog, we really are out of luck

and forlorn under the pouring rain

And yet you're a man's best friend

and me, all in all, I'm not that mean

And still, you see, old chap

when my last hour comes

I might well die in the gutter,

and you will be off to the pound.

1. I could not find the argotic meaning of "décrocher" here2. "un temps à ne pas mettre un chien/chat dehors" is a very common expression akin to "it's raining cats and dogs". The idea is that the weather is so terrible you would feel bad to put your dog/cat out into it3. frankly I could not find a definite meaning for "panto". This is just an educated guess4. the expression is "être logé à la même enseigne", meaning "rent a room in the same hostel/building". "garno" stands for "garni", a room with furniture5. that's the meaning of "garder un chien de sa chienne" (raise a dog from the bitch someone gave you). The idea is that you will use the wrong someone did you to "breed" an even stronger revenge

• Artist:Édith Piaf