Moustaki was born Yussef Mustacchi on the 3rd May 1934 in Alexandria, Egypt, of Sephardic Jewish parents who had moved there from Corfu, and who ran a bookshop in the city. The family spoke Italian at home, but Georges (then Yussef) spoke Arabic with his friends and attended a French school to which his Francophile parents sent him and his sisters. In 1951 he moved to Paris, where he was inspired by the young Georges Brassens, in honour of whom he changed his name to Georges Moustaki.
Moustaki wrote and sang in French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, English, Yiddish, and Arabic. Early influences included Edith Piaf, with whom Moustaki carried on a year-long romance. His pan-national approach to music made him a star in Europe in the late sixties and early seventies.
He died on the 23rd May 2013 in Nice, France.
Tes Gestes
Georges Moustaki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Plus tendres qu'un aveau
tes gestes me désarment
ta main dans tes cheveux
ou qui sèche une larme
tu mêles savamment
l'innocence et le charme
ta jupe de quinze ans
te bras encor' si frêles
deviennent rassurants
quand tu donnes à l'enfant
la douceur maternelle
Dis-moi qui t'a appris
à effleurer ma bouche
toi qui suces ton pouce
quand tu es endormie
Plus belle qu'une ondine
quand tu sors de ton bain
tu caches ta poitrine
dans la paume de tes mains
des anches insolents
à chaque mouvement
une bouche gourmande
et des yeux innocents
le soleil apprivoise
ton corps à contre-jour
et trouble les contours
de ton ombre chinoise
Dis-moi qui t'a appris
à effleurer ma bouche
toi qui suces ton pouce
quand tu es endormie
Comme une adolescente
à son premier désir
experte et maladroite
offerte à ton plaisir
tu es en même temps
princesse et courtisane
une fille une femme
et la mère et l'enfant
je te regarde vivre
et tu me donnes vie
tes gestes me délivrent
de tout ce que je suis
Dis-moi qui t'a appris
à effleurer ma bouche
toi qui suces ton pouce
quand tu es endormie
In Georges Moustaki's song "Tes Gestes," he describes the tender and disarming gestures of a young woman. He admires the way she effortlessly combines innocence and charm in her movements, whether it's her delicate hand in her hair or wiping away a tear. Despite her young age, her legs exude a mature femininity that contrasts with her still-frail arms, which become a source of comfort when she displays motherly tenderness to a child.
Moustaki is captivated by her beauty, comparing her to a water nymph when she emerges from a bath, shielding her chest with her delicate hands. Her every movement exudes sensuality, such as the way her hips sway or the way she enjoys eating. The sun's light plays with her body, creating shadows that add depth to her silhouette, yet leaving her with an innocent gaze.
He is mesmerized by her, observing her with awe as she experiences the many complexities of life as a young woman. She switches between being a princess, a courtesan, a girl, and a mother with ease, delighting him with each variation. As he watches her, Moustaki feels alive, grateful for her ability to set him free from all he is.
All in all, "Tes Gestes" is a romantic, visually rich tribute to the beauty, sensuality, and intricate complexity of a young woman's gestures.
Line by Line Meaning
Plus tendres qu'un aveau
Your gestures disarm me more than the softest breeze.
tes gestes me désarment
Your actions and movements have a disarming effect on me.
ta main dans tes cheveux
When you put your hand on your hair, it exudes an irresistible charm.
ou qui sèche une larme
The way you wipe a tear is both tender and heartbreaking.
tu mêles savamment
You skillfully blend together
l'innocence et le charme
innocence and charm in a way that is captivating.
ta jupe de quinze ans
Your youthful skirt
et tes jambes de femme
combined with your matured legs.
te bras encor' si frêles
Your still fragile arms
deviennent rassurants
offer me a sense of assurance.
quand tu donnes à l'enfant
When you provide care and comfort to a child
la douceur maternelle
your motherly instincts shine through.
Dis-moi qui t'a appris
Tell me who taught you
à effleurer ma bouche
to lightly touch my mouth
toi qui suces ton pouce
You who suck your thumb
quand tu es endormie
when you are asleep.
Plus belle qu'une ondine
You are more beautiful than a water nymph.
quand tu sors de ton bain
When you step out of the bath, you radiate beauty.
tu caches ta poitrine
You hide your chest
dans la paume de tes mains
with the palm of your hands.
des anches insolents
Your hips sway confidently
à chaque mouvement
with every step you take.
une bouche gourmande
Your mouth, both hungry and seductive.
et des yeux innocents
are accompanied by innocent eyes.
le soleil apprivoise
The sun, almost tamed by your beauty,
ton corps à contre-jour
casts a silhouette that is both beautiful and mysterious.
et trouble les contours
It blurs the lines between things.
de ton ombre chinoise
creates the illusion of a Chinese shadow.
Comme une adolescente
Like an adolescent
à son premier désir
experiencing their first desire.
experte et maladroite
You are both skilled and clumsy in your ways,
offerte à ton plaisir
offering yourself to my pleasure.
tu es en même temps
You are at once
princesse et courtisane
a princess and a courtesan.
une fille une femme
a girl, a woman,
et la mère et l'enfant
a mother and a child.
je te regarde vivre
I watch you live
et tu me donnes vie
and you give me life.
tes gestes me délivrent
Your gestures free me from
de tout ce que je suis
everything that I am.
Contributed by Joseph J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.