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.
Votre fille a vingt ans
Georges Moustaki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Madame, hier encore elle était si petite
Et ses premiers tourments sont vos premières rides
Madame, et vos premiers soucis
Chacun de ses vingt ans pour vous a compté double
Vous connaissiez déjà tout ce qu'elle découvre
Vous avez oublié les choses qui la troublent
On la trouvait jolie et voici qu'elle est belle
Pour un individu presque aussi jeune qu'elle
Un garçon qui ressemble à celui pour lequel
Madame, vous aviez embelli
Ils se font un jardin d'un coin de mauvaise herbe
Nouant la fleur de l'âge en un bouquet superbe
Il y a bien longtemps qu'on vous a mise en gerbes
Madame, le printemps vous oublie
Chaque nuit qui vous semble à chaque nuit semblable
Pendant que vous rêvez vos rêves raisonnables
De plaisir et d'amour ils se rendent coupables
Madame, au creux du même lit
Mais coupables jamais n'ont eu tant d'innocence
Aussi peu de regrets et tant d'insouciance
Qu'ils ne demandent même pas votre indulgence
Madame, pour leurs tendres délits
Jusqu'au jour où peut-être à la première larme
A la première peine d'amour et de femme
Il ne tiendra qu'à vous de sourire Madame
Madame, pour qu'elle vous sourie...
The song Votre Fille a Vingt Ans, which translates to "Your Daughter is Twenty Years Old," by Georges Moustaki is a sentimental and nostalgic piece that captures the emotions experienced by a mother as she watches her daughter grow up. The opening line brings forth the idea of how quickly time passes, as it seems like only yesterday that her daughter was a small child. The lyrics go on to describe how the mother has now begun to show signs of aging, with her daughter's growing pains being mirrored by her own wrinkles and worries.
The passage of time has given the mother a sense of hindsight, as she sees her daughter going through the same experiences that she herself had faced at the same age. The mother knows what lies ahead for her daughter and is aware of the troubles that await her, but does not want to dampen the young girl's spirits. Despite knowing what's to come, she has forgotten the specifics and hardships that plagued her at that age.
As the mother observes her daughter growing up and finding love, she sees a reflection of herself and her own youth. The last verse speaks of the daughter finding love with someone who resembles the person the mother once had herself. As the song draws to a close, the mother acknowledges that someday her daughter will experience heartbreak and will need her mother's comfort. The song ends with the sentiment that, even as her daughter blossoms in this new love, the mother will be there to offer her support and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Votre fille a vingt ans, que le temps passe vite
Madam, your daughter is now twenty, and you are amazed at how quickly time has passed.
Madame, hier encore elle était si petite
Madam, it seems like just yesterday that she was so small.
Et ses premiers tourments sont vos premières rides
As your daughter experiences her early struggles, you experience your first wrinkles.
Madame, et vos premiers soucis
At this time, your daughter's struggles are also your own.
Chacun de ses vingt ans pour vous a compté double
Each of her twenty years seems twice as long for you.
Vous connaissiez déjà tout ce qu'elle découvre
You have already discovered all the things that she is now discovering.
Vous avez oublié les choses qui la troublent
You have forgotten about the things that trouble her so.
Madame, et vous troublaient aussi
At some point, those same things troubled you as well.
On la trouvait jolie et voici qu'elle est belle
She was once just pretty, but now she has grown into true beauty.
Pour un individu presque aussi jeune qu'elle
There is a young man who is almost as young as she is and is enamored with her.
Un garçon qui ressemble à celui pour lequel
This young man perhaps reminds you of an earlier love interest.
Madame, vous aviez embelli
You too were once beautiful, and there was a man who adored you in your youth.
Ils se font un jardin d'un coin de mauvaise herbe
They create a garden together in a part of town that is often forgotten.
Nouant la fleur de l'âge en un bouquet superbe
They package the beauty of youth into a gorgeous bouquet.
Il y a bien longtemps qu'on vous a mise en gerbes
It has been a long time since someone created a beautiful bouquet for you.
Madame, le printemps vous oublie
It seems like springtime has passed you by.
Chaque nuit qui vous semble à chaque nuit semblable
For you, every night appears the same as the one before it.
Pendant que vous rêvez vos rêves raisonnables
While you dream your sensible dreams, they are making mistakes.
De plaisir et d'amour ils se rendent coupables
In the throes of passion and love, they do things that society may deem as guilty.
Madame, au creux du même lit
They sleep together in the same bed.
Mais coupables jamais n'ont eu tant d'innocence
They may appear guilty, but they are entirely innocent.
Aussi peu de regrets et tant d'insouciance
They have little regret and an abundance of carefree joy.
Qu'ils ne demandent même pas votre indulgence
They are not even seeking your forgiveness.
Madame, pour leurs tendres délits
They commit these harmless misdemeanors with tenderness.
Jusqu'au jour où peut-être à la première larme
One day, perhaps when your daughter cries tears of heartbreak for the first time...
A la première peine d'amour et de femme
...or endures her first heartbreak...
Il ne tiendra qu'à vous de sourire Madame
...the power will lie in your hands to comfort her, Madam.
Madame, pour qu'elle vous sourie...
Only then can you be rewarded with a smile from your daughter.
Contributed by Ava V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Evelyne Arramy
Sublime de douceur et de nostalgie ! Un délice , car le son est exceptionnel , merci très fort .
Sos Soso
Une chanson géniale tant sur les paroles que sur la musique, en bref un chef d'œuvre éternel ! 😍
Lise Lehouillier
Il est magnifique ..et quel charme ...merci Georges Moustaki .....d,ETRE...
Jean Pierre Gath
Vraiment magnifique!
Rosette stringaro
ma préférée ;sublime chanson ;
maisquecestmoi
le sex apeal à l'état brut
Jean Williquet
appeal