Rataplan
Esther Ofarim Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

|: Le roi a fait battre tambour :|
Pour voir toutes ses dames
Et la première qu'il a vue
Lui a ravi son âme lui a ravi son âme

|: Rataplan rataplan rataplan plan plan plan :|

|: Marquis, dis-moi, la connais-tu :|
Qui est cette jolie dame
Le marquis lui a répondu
Sire roi, c'est ma femme

Rataplan...

|: Marquis, tu es plus heureux que moi :|
D'avoir femme si belle
Si tu voulais me l'accorder
Je me chargerais d'elle

Rataplan...

|: Sire si vous n'étiez pas Roi :|
J'en tirerais vengeance
Mais pusique vous êtes le Roi
A votre obéissance

Rataplan...

|: Marquis, ne te fâche donc pas :|
T'auras te r'compense
Je te ferai dans mes armées
Beau Maréchal de France

Rataplan...

|: Adieu ma mie, adieu mon cœur :|
Adieu mon espérance
Puisqu'il te faut servir le Roi
Séparons-nous d'ensemble

Rataplan...

|: La reine a fait faire un bouquet :|
De belles fleurs de lyse
Et la senteur de ce bouquet
A fait mourir Marquise





Rataplan... 3x

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Esther Ofarim's song, Rataplan, tell a story of a king who is seeking to find one of his ladies. The first lady he sees captures his heart and he asks the Marquis if he knows her. The Marquis, who is married to the lady, confirms her identity. The king then asks if he can have her, but the Marquis declines the offer. The king warns the Marquis that if he weren't the king, he would seek vengeance, but because he is the king, he must obey him. The Marquis gets upset, but the king reassures him that he will be rewarded by making him the Marshal of France. The lady, however, bids farewell to her love, as she must serve the king as well. Finally, the queen gives the lady a bouquet of lilies, which kills the Marquis.


The lyrics tell a simple and somewhat tragic love story, with a touch of political power play. The "rataplan" refrain serves as a pulsing beat, possibly symbolizing the military marching drums or even the beating of the characters' hearts. The Marquis' refusal to hand over his wife to the king contrasts with the king's sense of entitlement and authority as a ruler. The floral imagery at the end, with the lilies causing the Marquis' demise, adds a final touch of bitterness and sadness.


Line by Line Meaning

Le roi a fait battre tambour :
The king ordered for drums to be played to gather all his ladies


Pour voir toutes ses dames
In order to see all his ladies


Et la première qu'il a vue
And the first lady he saw


Lui a ravi son âme lui a ravi son âme
Took away his heart, took away his heart


Rataplan rataplan rataplan plan plan plan :
Drumming, drumming, drumming rhythmically


Marquis, dis-moi, la connais-tu :
Marquis, tell me, do you know her?


Qui est cette jolie dame
Who is this beautiful lady?


Le marquis lui a répondu
The marquis replied to him


Sire roi, c'est ma femme
My lord king, it's my wife


Marquis, tu es plus heureux que moi :
Marquis, you are luckier than me


D'avoir femme si belle
For having such a beautiful wife


Si tu voulais me l'accorder
If you would grant her to me


Je me chargerais d'elle
I would take care of her


Sire si vous n'étiez pas Roi :
My lord, if you were not a king


J'en tirerais vengeance
I would seek revenge


Mais pusique vous êtes le Roi
But since you are the king


A votre obéissance
I am at your service


Marquis, ne te fâche donc pas :
Marquis, do not be angry then


T'auras te r'compense
You will be rewarded


Je te ferai dans mes armées
I will make you a beautiful Marshal in my armies


Beau Maréchal de France
Handsome Marshal of France


Adieu ma mie, adieu mon cœur :
Goodbye my love, goodbye my heart


Adieu mon espérance
Goodbye my hope


Puisqu'il te faut servir le Roi
Since you have to serve the king


Séparons-nous d'ensemble
Let us part ways together


La reine a fait faire un bouquet :
The queen had a bouquet made


De belles fleurs de lyse
Of beautiful lily flowers


Et la senteur de ce bouquet
And the scent of this bouquet


A fait mourir Marquise
Made Marquise die


Rataplan... 3x
Drumming... 3x




Contributed by Asher G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

04opocin

Une chanson tirée de son album français "Esther Ofarim" (1973).

Lyric Rogers

I love how Esther pronounces the "r"

funklover24

👏👏👏

More Versions