Quand tu t'y mets (When You Try)

You can be so beautiful When you try You don't try often Yet when you try You have no idea You can be such a bitch When you try You don't try often Yet when you try You have no idea You can hurt me so much When you try You don't try often Yet when you try You have no idea What you are in my arms* When you're there You're not there often Yet when you're there You have no idea What our love was When we loved It wasn't that long ago Yet that we once loved You must not know anymore

C'que tu peux être belle Quand tu t'y mets Tu t'y mets pas souvent Pourtant quand tu t'y mets Tu peux pas savoir C'que tu peux être garce Quand tu t'y mets Tu t'y mets pas souvent Pourtant quand tu t'y mets Tu peux pas savoir C'que tu peux m'faire mal Quand tu t'y mets Tu t'y mets plus souvent Pourtant quand tu t'y mets Tu peux pas savoir C'que tu es dans mes bras Quand tu t'y mets Tu t'y mets plus souvent Pourtant quand tu t'y mets Tu peux pas savoir C'qu'était notre amour Quand on s'aimait Il n'y a pas si longtemps Pourtant que l'on s'aimait Tu dois plus savoir

*"Ce que" means two things: literally "that which" which is more or less the meaning it has in the last two strophes. In the first three, "Ce que" is a mark of exclamation, like the "how" in "how pretty you are!" The pattern that has been established by the first three verses is suddenly reversed.

English translation ©2007 Alex Chabot