Ma Liberte

This is possibly my number one favourite song. I've known it since childhood, as it is often taught in French schools. One of my long term penpal and holiday friend taught it to me one summer, when we were about 10. The lyrics are absolutely haunting. But in truth, I'm just glad that someone wrote a song about the end of freedom.

And I'm happy that French schoolkids learn the depth of these spooky melancholy love songs when they're young. For some reason, we think it's fine. Later on, we're glad the songs have become part of our psyche, and we all grow up to become amazing French lovers, I guess.

Ma liberté
Longtemps je t'ai gardée
Comme une perle rare
Ma liberté
C'est toi qui m'as aidé
A larguer les amarres

My freedom
For so long i have kept you
Like a rare pearl
My freedom,
It's you who helped me
To set sails

Pour aller n'importe où
Pour aller jusqu'au bout
Des chemins de fortune
Pour cueillir en rêvant
Une rose des vents
Sur un rayon de lune

To go pretty much anywhere
To go to the end, at last
of all the hazardous roads
To pluck, while dreaming
The odd desert wind rose
On a ray of the moon

Ma liberté
Devant tes volontés
Mon âme était soumise
Ma liberté
Je t'avais tout donné
Ma dernière chemise

My freedom,
To your every whim
My soul was enslaved
My freedom,
I had given you everything
My last shirt.

Et combien j'ai souffert
Pour pouvoir satisfaire
Tes moindres exigences?
J'ai changé de pays
J'ai perdu mes amis
Pour gagner ta confiance

How much did I suffer
To try to satisfy
All your exigencies?
I changed countries
I lost my friends
To earn your trust

Ma liberté
Tu as su désarmer
Mes moindres habitudes
Ma liberté
Toi qui m'as fait aimer
Même la solitude

My freedom,
You have destroyed
All of my habits
My freedom
You taught me how to love
Even solitude

Toi qui m'as fait sourire
Quand je voyais finir
Une belle aventure
Toi qui m'as protégé
Quand j'allais me cacher
Pour soigner mes blessures

You made me smile
When beautiful times
Were coming to an end
You protected me
When I sought to hide
To heal my wounds

Ma liberté
Pourtant je t'ai quittée
Une nuit de décembre
J'ai déserté
Les chemins écartés
Que nous suivions ensemble

My freedom
Despite all, I left you
One December night
Forever I gave up
The odd and exciting roads
Which we treaded together

Lorsque sans me méfier
Les pieds et poings liés
Je me suis laissé faire
Et je t'ai trahie pour
Une prison d'amour
Et sa belle geôlière

I wasn't paying attention
When, my hands and feet tied
I didn't resist.
I betrayed you
For a prison of love
and its beautiful jailer.