Brel was born on 8th April 1929 in Schaarbeek, a district of Brussels, and lived half of his life in Paris. He died of lung cancer on 9th October 1978 in Bobigny in the suburbs of Paris, and is buried in the Marquesas Islands.
Although the Brels spoke French, they were of Flemish descent, with some of the family originating from Zandvoorde, near Ieper. Brel's father was co-owner of a cardboard factory and Brel started his professional life at that firm, apparently destined to follow in his father's footsteps. However he had no interest in it, showing instead an interest in the arts, having joined the Catholic-humanist youth organisation Franche Cordée, where he did some singing and acting. At Franche Cordée he met Thérèse Michielsen ('Miche'), and they married in 1950.
In the early 1950s Brel achieved some minor success in Belgium, singing his own songs. A 78rpm record ("La foire"/"Il y a") was released as a result. From 1954 Brel seriously pursued a singing career. He quit his job and moved to Paris, writing music and singing in the city's cabarets and music-halls.. In January 1955 he supported in the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels the performances of the Belgian pop and variety pioneer Bobbejaan Schoepen. After some success his wife and daughters joined him from Belgium. By 1956 he was touring Europe and he recorded the song "Quand on n'a que l'amour", which brought him his first major recognition. He appeared in a show with Maurice Chevalier and Michel Legrand.
By the end of the 1950s Miche and Brel's three daughters moved to Brussels. He and his family led separate lives from then on. Under the influence of his friend Georges Pasquier ('Jojo') and pianists Gérard Jouannest and François Rauber, Brel's style changed. He was no longer a Catholic-humanist troubadour, but sang grimmer songs about love, death, and the struggle that is life. The music became more complex and his themes more diverse, exploring love ("Je t'aime", "Litanies pour un retour"), society ("Les singes", "Les bourgeois", "Jaurès") and spiritual concerns ("Le bon Dieu", "Dites, si c'était vrai", "Fernand"). His work is not limited to one style. He was as proficient in comic compositions ("Le lion", "Comment tuer l'amant de sa femme...") as in more emotional ones ("Voir un ami pleurer", "Fils de...", "Jojo"). He composed and recorded his songs almost exclusively in French, and is widely recognised in French-speaking countries as one of the best French-language composers of all time.
Brel himself occasionally included parts of his songs in Flemish (Dutch), one of the three official languages of Belgium, as in Marieke. He also recorded eight other Flemish versions of songs, such as Mijn vlakke land (Le plat Pays), Laat Me Niet Alleen (Ne me quitte pas), Rosa, De Burgerij (Les Bourgeois), and De Nuttelozen van de Nacht (Les paumés du petit matin). Since his own command of the language was poor, these were translated by Ernst van Altena, renowned translator of French song. Although France was Brel's "spiritual home" and he expressed contradictory statements about his native Belgium, some of his best compositions pay tribute to Belgium.
A very successful theatrical review of his songs, "Jacques Brel is Alive and Living in Paris," was launched in 1968. It featured English translations of his songs, and it was late made into a film.
To English-speaking listeners, Brel's best-known song is probably "Seasons in the Sun," a hit for Terry Jacks in 1973. Its English lyrics are a translation by Rod McKuen of Brel's "Le Moribond."
For twenty years he was a major star gaining recognition beyond French audiences. In 1973 he retreated to French Polynesia, remaining there until 1977 when he returned to Paris and recorded his well-received final album.
A heavy smoker, it was discovered in 1973 that Brel had lung cancer. He died in 1978 and was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia only a few yards away from painter Paul Gauguin.
Litanies pour un retour
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mon ciel mon feu ma flamme
Mon puits ma source mon val
Mon miel mon baume mon Graal
Mon blé mon or ma terre
Mon soc mon roc ma pierre
Ma nuit ma soif ma faim
Mon jour mon aube mon pain
Ma voile ma vague mon guide ma voix
Mon sang ma force ma fièvre mon moi
Mon chant mon rire mon vin ma joie
Mon aube mon cri ma vie ma foi
Mon cœur ma mie mon âme
Mon ciel mon feu ma flamme
Mon corps ma chair mon bien
Voilà que tu reviens
The lyrics of Jacques Brel's song Litanies pour un retour paint a vivid picture of a person's deep yearning for the return of a loved one. The song begins with a list of endearments which express the intense emotions of the person towards their lover. The repetition of "mon" (my) in each line emphasizes the personal attachment to each aspect of their life, as they describe their lover as their heart, soul, sky, fire, flame, well, source, honey, balm, wheat, gold, land, plow, rock, stone, night, thirst, hunger, day, dawn, and bread. These words show how the person's true North and everything that sustains them are associated with their lover, making them an integral part of their life.
The second half of the song speaks of the person's desire to have their lover back in their life. They describe their lover as their sail, wave, guide, voice, blood, strength, fever, and self, which only highlights their longing for them. The repeated use of "ma" (my) to describe each intangible aspect of themselves, only underscores the significance of their lover's presence in their lives. They go on to speak of their lover as their song, laughter, wine, and joy, emphasizing the importance of their time spent with their lover. Finally, the last line of the song brings everything to a conclusion, stating that their body and flesh welcome them back. It is a powerful declaration of their intense desire for their lover's return and a willingness to cherish and hold them close.
Line by Line Meaning
Mon cœur ma mie mon âme
My heart, my darling, my soul
Mon ciel mon feu ma flamme
My sky, my fire, my flame
Mon puits ma source mon val
My well, my source, my valley
Mon miel mon baume mon Graal
My honey, my balm, my Grail
Mon blé mon or ma terre
My wheat, my gold, my land
Mon soc mon roc ma pierre
My plow, my rock, my stone
Ma nuit ma soif ma faim
My night, my thirst, my hunger
Mon jour mon aube mon pain
My day, my dawn, my bread
Ma voile ma vague mon guide ma voix
My sail, my wave, my guide, my voice
Mon sang ma force ma fièvre mon moi
My blood, my strength, my fever, my self
Mon chant mon rire mon vin ma joie
My song, my laughter, my wine, my joy
Mon aube mon cri ma vie ma foi
My dawn, my cry, my life, my faith
Mon cœur ma mie mon âme
My heart, my darling, my soul
Mon ciel mon feu ma flamme
My sky, my fire, my flame
Mon corps ma chair mon bien
My body, my flesh, my good
Voilà que tu reviens
Here you are returning
Contributed by Sebastian A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Thomas Shirrefs
'Mon cœur ma mie mon âme
Mon ciel mon feu ma flamme
Mon puits ma source mon val
Mon miel mon baume mon Graal
Mon blé mon or ma terre
Mon soc mon roc ma pierre
Ma nuit ma soif ma faim
Mon jour mon aube mon pain
Ma voile ma vague mon guide ma voix
Mon sang ma force ma fièvre mon moi
Mon chant mon rire mon vin ma joie
Mon aube mon cri ma vie ma foi
Mon cœur ma mie mon âme
Mon ciel mon feu ma flamme
Mon corps ma chair mon bien
Voilà que tu reviens'
Thomas Shirrefs
My heart my dear my soul
My sky my fire my flame
My well my source my vale my honey my balm my graal
My wheat my gold my earth
My foundation my rock my gem
My night my thirst my hunger my day my dawn my bread
My sail my wave my guide my voice my blood my force my fever my me
My chant my laughter my wine my joy my dawn my scream my life my faith
My heart my dear my soul
My sky my fire my flame
My body my flesh my good
Here you return
youtuber101
My heart, my love, my soul,
My sky, my fire, my gold,
My snow, my rain, my hail, my honey, my spring,
My grail.
My wheat, my land, my home,
My flame, my earth, my stone,
My night, my thirst, my bread, my dawn, my twilight,
My bed.
My sail, my wave, my guide and my self,
My blood, my strength, my fever, my health,
My song, my laugh, my wine, my joy,
My dawn, my life, my faith and my cry.
My heart, my love, my soul,
My sky, my fire, my gold,
My body, my flesh, my plea,
Here they are now you’ve come back to me.
Thomas Shirrefs
'Mon cœur ma mie mon âme
Mon ciel mon feu ma flamme
Mon puits ma source mon val
Mon miel mon baume mon Graal
Mon blé mon or ma terre
Mon soc mon roc ma pierre
Ma nuit ma soif ma faim
Mon jour mon aube mon pain
Ma voile ma vague mon guide ma voix
Mon sang ma force ma fièvre mon moi
Mon chant mon rire mon vin ma joie
Mon aube mon cri ma vie ma foi
Mon cœur ma mie mon âme
Mon ciel mon feu ma flamme
Mon corps ma chair mon bien
Voilà que tu reviens'
Thomas Shirrefs
Gotta love yourselves guys 😁 well done to the grand Jacques, spreading some deep esoteric truths out there
Thomas Shirrefs
My heart my dear my soul
My sky my fire my flame
My well my source my vale my honey my balm my graal
My wheat my gold my earth
My foundation my rock my gem
My night my thirst my hunger my day my dawn my bread
My sail my wave my guide my voice my blood my force my fever my me
My chant my laughter my wine my joy my dawn my scream my life my faith
My heart my dear my soul
My sky my fire my flame
My body my flesh my good
Here you return
Dominique Larue Enchantez-vous
Merci!
Dominique Larue Enchantez-vous
@youtuber101 Thanks for this english version! Cheers!
youtuber101
My heart, my love, my soul,
My sky, my fire, my gold,
My snow, my rain, my hail, my honey, my spring,
My grail.
My wheat, my land, my home,
My flame, my earth, my stone,
My night, my thirst, my bread, my dawn, my twilight,
My bed.
My sail, my wave, my guide and my self,
My blood, my strength, my fever, my health,
My song, my laugh, my wine, my joy,
My dawn, my life, my faith and my cry.
My heart, my love, my soul,
My sky, my fire, my gold,
My body, my flesh, my plea,
Here they are now you’ve come back to me.
Olivier Dierickx
Magnifique, comme 90% des chansons du grand Jacques. Si beau! <3 <3
Elske Dingemanse
une pure merveille
ThePierremasson
trop puissant !
barbara le saulnier
magnifique texte , Barbara le reprend merveilleusement bien aussi 😍