The Partisan

the french verses are in fact this: les allemandes étaient chez moi, ils me dirent "resigne-toi", mais je n'ai pas pu, j'ai repris mon arme. j'ai changé cent fois de nom, j'ai perdu femme et enfants, mais j'ai tant d'amis, j'ai la France entière. un vieil homme dans un grenier, pour la nuit nous a caché, les Allemands l'ont pris, il est mort sans supplice.

which translate more literally, for any who care, as: the germans came to my home, they ordered me to surrender, but i could not, i retook my weapon i've changed my name a hundred times i've lost wife and children but i have many friends i have all of france an old man in an attic kept us hidden for a night the germans took him he died without suffering

i love how there is no rhyme scheme but it flows so perfectly you dont see that very often

Hello! Im' new here and french. I knew te cohen's version before to hear the french one, so thanks to Cohen! In the french original version, it s' said "résigne-toi", which is closed to "sureender", and means you accept the situation because it's no worth struggle against" Nothing in the song say the "resistant" is jewish, in fact nothing is said about his political and religious mind, just in can't accept foreign rules for his country Most resistant were'nt really communist, but communist party organised the most important and active movement of "resistance", "franc-tireurs et partisants" and "most of ft-p officer's were members of PCF, but many ft-p were not communist but just chose this movement because of its activitism and efficiency an aother mistake can be noted: "et j'ai repris mon ame" ame means soul, but the good word in the song is "arme" for gun. "chez moi" means in my home, but my home can be undestood as "where i live, where i feel well", so in my country

she died without a whisper.

Means she held her tounge about their where-abouts. Even at the cost of her life.

RJ

There were three of us this morning I'm the only one this evening.

What a great line, so decent...Leonard rules!

If u want more about this song, see the link leonardcohensite.com/partisaneng.htm I desagree with the end of the text, about last verses of the song. In french its'really said "Nous rentrerons dans l'ombre" which means "We'll get into the shadow" before, "Le vent souffle sur les tombes La liberté reviendra On nous oubliera" So it's mean the wind blow on the grave" freedomwill come back, we'll be forgot" I think it means than partisans don't fight for glory but just do what they think they have to, and no problem if people which can live free forget their name and their history. peharps it's normal when spring com back to forget winter.......

isn't the line "ils m'ont dit resigne toi"?

or rather: resignes-toi?

I always imagine this song is about Walter Benjamin.

This song is so amazing.