Sur un prélude de Bach [English translation]

When I hear this Bach prelude

played by Glen Gould, my mind flies

toward le Havre harbour and the shacks

and the heavy cargo ships being patched up

and the torchs, the dodgy cranes,

the diesel tanks.

And you, running through the puddles

And me, playing the smartass

And me, thinking you were my plaything, my pet

And me, being nothing more than a glue-pot

When I hear this Bach prelude

played by Glen Gould, my mind flies

and all this love affair goes awry

and the heavy grief being patched up

and all my zodiacal errors,

and my jerky compass.

And you, wading in the puddles

And me, playing the smartass

I mistook tug boats for gondolas

and now I'm dragging my disgrace

through this dump for dream bundles

disposed of like oil stocks

for white collars and vultures1

who don't give a damn about Mozart or Bach

I'd give Ray Charles, Mozart or anything,

La vie en rose, all of rock'n roll,

all these flat2 and bum notes

for Glen Gould playing this Bach prelude.

1. "corbac" is a slangy derogative variant of "corbeau" (crow)2. "bémol" (flat note) also means "failing" or "drawback"