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Le gorille

Georges Brassens
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La versione inglese di Jake Thackray
OCJO AL GORILABROTHER GORILLA
‘Ta placuta di una vila
Ducj a cjalavin incocalits
Un quadrumano gorila
Puartât aventi da cui-sa ce sit
Las comâris dal Borc di Là
A smicjavin un pont precis
Quâl, po-gjau, induvinàilu
Che dal sigûr achi jò no lu dis
Ocjo al Gorila!
This week in La Sante Prison in Paris,
two fellers got their 'eads chopped off.
This was official, and it was meant as a punishment.
Here is a translation of a famous French song
about capital pun. It was written some twenty years
ago by Georges Brassens - the best, the very best
of all poet-singers. It is called The Gorilla,
and it is offensive.
Poben, di colp, il gabiot
Dulà ch’al era l'anemal
Al si spalanca, no sai parcé
Forsit la cluca a scierava mal
La besteata a scjampa fûr
Cun chest pensir precis tal cjâf:
"Vué i ml deliberi dal polzetagjo
Ch'al è di massa ch’a mi ten sciâf”
Ocjo al Gorila!
Through the bars of a large enclosure
The village ladies intently stared,
Where a gorilla with massive composure
Was impassively combing his hair.
They were shamelessly interested,
Eyeing devoutly a certain spot,
But my mother's especially requested
I refrain from telling you what.
Brother Gorilla!
Il padron al sbegherava:
"Il gno gorila, sacramentât,
No l'à jodût mai polzeta
Forsit mi resta confusionât”
Las comâris apena savût
Ch’al era vergjn il besteòn
A la tovin di tromba, cença
Aprofitâ da situazion
Ocjo al Gorila!
The door of the circus lock-up,
Where the noble brute had been put,
By an administrational cock-up
Was unwisely left unshut
"I'm going to lose it at last," he cried,
Swinging lissomely out of his cage,
Referring, of course, to his chastity:
He was just at the difficult age
Brother Gorilla!
Encje chês che cun plui tir
A contemplavin il goloseç
Quant ch’a si cjatin tal intif
A refudin il bon rapeç
E sì che il gorila al è domiesti
E plui che un uman al à braura
A inventâ i giûcs da l’amôr
E mena-ju a furnidura
Ocjo al Gorila!
Those self-same ladies who previously
Had been licking their lips from afar
Did a bunk, which shows how devious
And whimsical women are.
In the path of the lovesick monkey
There were two who wouldn't budge:
A little old lady, all shrunken,
And a petty sessions judge.
Brother Gorilla!
Ducj a fuin di cà e di là
Cença respir, cença padìn
Si fermin nomo gnagna cruspa
E un giudiç suturno cu l'ermelin
Stant che ducj a la vevin tovada
Il quadrumano al cor a varcs
Al da un’ultima acelerada
E al plomba sui doi restants
Ocjo al Gorila!
The old girl said "It would be surprising
And unlikely in the extreme
If anyone found me appetising,
And beyond my wildest dreams!"
The judge intoned with tranquillity:
"To take me for a female ape
Would be the height of improbability".
Even judges make mistakes.
Brother Gorilla!
“Ch’a mi podino volé
- A suspirava la centenaria -
a è una rôba da no crodi
e come dî straordenaria”
"Sumo sù, cuntun scimiot
- Il magjstrat al cjalava di stuart -
Nol è posibbil...” Ce ch’al ven dopo
Al prova che il giudiç al veva tuart
Ocjo al Gorila!
It would be curious and uncanny,
Say, if the choice were up to you
To ravish a judge or a granny
And you didn't know which to do.
If I were in such a position
And the choice had got to be mine,
I'd beg the old lady's permission
But go for grandma every time.
Brother Gorilla!
Difati, lui, scartada la viêla
Al ti plomba sul magjstrât
A lu gafa par una vorêla
A lu strissina tal mieç di un prât
Ce ch’al sucêt ta l'ortigûl
Jò no lu conti d’insomp a pit
Che di contâ las purcitarias
Vava jér l'ati a me lu a improibit
Ocjo al Gorila!
Though the gorilla is very proficient
In the role of a paramour
His mental equipment's deficient
And his eyesight's awfully poor.
With a Palaeolithic leer
He gave the old lady the miss
And, grabbing the judge by the ear,
Gave him an introductory kiss.
Brother Gorilla!
Su conti nomo che sul plui biel
E a ogni a-fondo salacor
Al vaiva il giudiç como un vidiel
E al belava “Mari-mê-di-côr”
Al belava: “Mama!”, como chel biât
Che la buinora tanche un poleç
Cuntuna sentenza no pa la quâl
Al veva picjât al malcjaveç
Ocjo al Gorila!
In time the gorilla's desires
Were more or less gratified.
The judge, being rather biased,
Couldn't see the funny side.
He was kicking and screaming and wailing
When his moment of truth had come,
Like those wretches he orders daily
To be taken away and hung.
Brother Gorilla!


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