Céline
Edith Piaf & Les Compagnons De La Chanson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sont trois jeunes garçons
S'en allant à la guerre,
S'en allant à la guerre,
Tout droit en regrettant,
Tout droit en regrettant
Bien leurs maîtresses.

Le plus jeune des trois
Regrettait bien la sienne,
Regrettait bien la sienne
Et il a bien raison
C'est la plus jolie fille
De tous les environs.

Le bon soldat s'en va
Trouver son capitaine
"Bonjour, mon capitaine.
Donnez-moi mon congé
Pour allez voir Céline
Qui ne fait que pleurer"

Son capitaine répond
Comme un homme de guerre
Ton joli passeport
Va t'en, va voir ta fille
Tu reviendras d'abord.

Puis le galant s'en va
Au château de son père.
"Bonjour mon père, ma mère.
Bonjour mes chers parents,
Sans oublier Céline
Que mon cœur aime tant."

Son père lui répond
"Mais ta Céline est morte
Mais ta Céline est morte,
Est morte en t'appelant.
Son corps est dans la terre,
Son âme, au Paradis."

Puis le galant s'en va
Pleurer dessus sa tombe
"Céline, ma Céline,
Parle, parle, parle-moi!
Mon cœur se désespère
De jamais plus te voir"
Céline lui répond
"Ma bouche est pleine de terre
Ma bouche est pleine de terre
La tienne est pleine d'amour!
Je garde l'espérance
De te revoir un jour"

Le bon soldat s'en va
Trouver son capitaine
"Bonjour, mon capitaine!
Me voici de retour




Puisque Céline est morte,
Je servirai toujours

Overall Meaning

The song "Celine" by Edith Piaf and Les Compagnons de la Chanson tells the story of three young men who are heading off to war, leaving behind their loved ones. The youngest of the three young men regrets leaving behind his girlfriend, who he describes as the prettiest girl in the area. He seeks permission from his captain to visit her, and while his captain initially resists, he ultimately grants the request. However, upon arriving home, the young man learns that his girlfriend has died. He visits her grave and speaks to her, and she responds from beyond the grave, telling him that she hopes to see him again someday.


The song is a poignant reflection on the challenges of separation during wartime and the pain of loss. The repeated refrain of "s'en allant à la guerre" (heading off to war) underscores the central theme of the song and provides a sense of the young men's journey into the unknown. The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia for the joys of the past, as well as a deep sense of sadness and longing for what has been lost. The dialogue between the soldier and his captain, as well as the conversation between the young man and his deceased girlfriend, underscores the human need for connection and the power of love to transcend even death itself.


Line by Line Meaning

Sont trois jeunes garçons
Three young boys are going to war


S'en allant à la guerre,
Heading off to fight


Tout droit en regrettant,
While regretting leaving


Tout droit en regrettant
Still regretting as they travel


Bien leurs maîtresses.
Leaving behind their girlfriends they love


Le plus jeune des trois
The youngest of the three


Regrettait bien la sienne,
Misses his own girlfriend a lot


Regrettait bien la sienne
Really regrets not being with her


Et il a bien raison
And he has every right to feel that way


C'est la plus jolie fille
She is the prettiest girl


De tous les environs.
In the entire area


Le bon soldat s'en va
The good soldier goes


Trouver son capitaine
To meet his captain


"Bonjour, mon capitaine.
"Hello, my captain


Donnez-moi mon congé
Please give me my leave


Pour allez voir Céline
So I can go see Celine


Qui ne fait que pleurer"
Who is constantly crying


Son capitaine répond
His captain answers him


Comme un homme de guerre
Like a man of war


Ton joli passeport
Your passport is nice


Va t'en, va voir ta fille
Go on, go see your girl


Tu reviendras d'abord.
You will come back first


Puis le galant s'en va
Then the gentleman goes


Au château de son père.
To his father's castle


"Bonjour mon père, ma mère.
"Hello, my father and mother


Sans oublier Céline
Without forgetting Celine


Que mon cœur aime tant."
Whom my heart loves so much


Son père lui répond
His father answers him


"Mais ta Céline est morte
"But Celine is dead


Est morte en t'appelant.
She died while calling for you


Son corps est dans la terre,
Her body is in the ground


Son âme, au Paradis."
Her soul is in heaven


Puis le galant s'en va
Then the gentleman goes


Pleurer dessus sa tombe
To weep over her grave


"Céline, ma Céline,
"Celine, my Celine


Parle, parle, parle-moi!
Talk, talk to me!


Mon cœur se désespère
My heart despairs


De jamais plus te voir"
Because I will never see you again


Céline lui répond
Celine answers him


"Ma bouche est pleine de terre
"My mouth is filled with dirt


La tienne est pleine d'amour!
Yours is full of love!


Je garde l'espérance
I keep my hope


De te revoir un jour"
Of seeing you again one day


Me voici de retour
Here I am, I have returned


Puisque Céline est morte,
Since Celine is dead


Je servirai toujours
I will always serve




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SNUFF GARRETT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions