L'orphelin
Georges Brassens
The Orphan
Except in the frequent case, alas!
Where they’re just real assholes
You should never lose
Your mom and dad, of course, but
Unless you’re a clever little kid
Who dies before becoming an orphan
Or an unfortunate bastard
It’s bound to happen sooner or later
When wrapped in a shroud
His parents leave him all alone
The little orphan, I swear
Is truly to be pitied. However
Without going so far as to say
He becomes a spoiled brat
Let’s just say in his affliction
He finds some compensations
First at dessert right away
The best piece of the cake
And then no school, of course
The week’s got four Thursdays
He’s treated like a king
While they whip the cat instead
And finding him quite stylish in mourning
The girls give him winks
It would be too ridiculous
To list in detail
The favors and privileges
That he’s granted in this case
Even pulling such a benefit
From losing their parents, some sons
Regret only having two
To lose in the first place
Yesterday I told a cop
Who was out to get me
I’m an orphan, you know?
He replied: I don’t care
If I were forty years younger
I’m sure that bystanders
Would’ve put that brute in his place
But those cowards didn’t move
So my child, if you must
Be an orphan, hurry up
If you’re going to lose your dear parents
Kid, don’t wait to grow up
The orphan of a certain age
Nobody feels sorry for him: Nope!
And for everyone, he remains
An orphan at the eleventh hour
The one who wrote this song
Wanted to say in his own way
That losing the old folks is sometimes
A real loss, jokes aside
With age, it’s quite normal
The wounds of the heart heal poorly
Often, even, goodbye!
They never close up again
