Pâle Septembre

Pale september like it's so far the sky without ashes it was time for learning under the number of days until the sun covered october

A tender man and the beginning of November deaf with advances of love but which evils did I undertake to get excited about him?

Dirty December the sky in its weight did you know that the salt statues have stopped waiting for you?

Pale september did you hear the death knell I rang?

I love you forever I'm spreading love

The seasons pass but gracefully we pretend that they resemble what they were

But who is this man who fell from the tower? But who is this man who fell from the sky? BUt who is this man who fell in love?

Pale september like it's so far away the sky without ashes it was time for learning

Although I have no understanding of French, this is such an unbelievably beautiful song. It's hard to put into words how I feel about this song... but for me, it is about the experience of grief and loss - not just romance issues, but life in general. As Camille says in the linear notes for Le Fil, "That month, someone fell from a tower as I fell in love." It is a song that speaks of hindsight - looking back, wiser for all your pain, and seeing things as they (and you) once were. It is a song about loving, learning, building, losing, and becoming.

The quiet a capella English lines before Camille and choir loudly (beautifully) break loose is possibly my favourite part of the whole song: "I'll never reach the sun/I'll never ever know if he is still alive..."

Such a powerful piece of music! And sung so amazingly by Ms Camille too.

I love the english lines too :) And the falling lines beforehand. It's a beautiful song.

i am in love with song.... i have a general understanding, but since i am not fluent in french i dont understand the deeper meaning. It still strikes a humane chord within me... especially the "je t'aime toujour" it s so sad.. this whole album is really well produced and i love the drone throughout the whole album...

let's try to improve the translation

Pâle septembre, comme il est loin, le temps du ciel sans cendres il serait temps de s'entendre sur le nombre de jours qui jonchent le sol d'octobre

 Translates  Pale september  How far the time of the cinderless sky  It’s time to agree  On the number of day  Littering the floor  Of October

Mâle si tendre au debut de novembre devint sourd aux avances de l'amour mais quel mal me prit de m'éprendre de lui ?  Translates  Tender male  At the start of november  Became deaf to advances of love  What took me to fall in love with him

Sale décembre comme il est lourd le ciel sais-tu que les statues de sel ont cessé de t'attendre ?  Translates  Dirty December  How heavy the sky  Do you know the salt statues  Are not waiting for you anymore ?

Pâle septembre Entends-tu le glas que je sonne ? Je t'aime toujours d'amour je sème l'amour Les saisons passent mais de grâce faisons semblant qu'elles nous ressemblent  Translates  Do you hear the Bell I Toll  I still love you of true love  I’m sowing love  Seasons pass but please  Let’s pretend they are like us

Mais qui est cet homme qui tombe de la tour ? Mais qui est cet homme qui tombe des cieux ? Mais qui est cet homme qui tombe amoureux ?  Translates  Who is this man falling from the tower?  Who is this man falling from the skies?  Who is this man falling in love ?

Pâle septembre, comme il est loin, le temps du ciel sans cendres il serait temps de s'entendre  Translates  Pale september  How far the time of the cinderless sky  It’s time to get along with one another

I love this song!. It's perfect for a cold, cloudy day, with the wind in our faces, and the trees naked, and the rain, and stufss like that.

I saw her in concert and she sang Pale Septembre at the end, and when the choir began, I felt like my chest was exploding. I'm french and I think she's referring to September 9/11 when she sings "comme il est loin le temps du ciel sans cendres" or "Mais qui est cet homme qui tombe de la tour ?", or simply the title. Anyway, if you have the chance, go and see her in concert, she can be really humorous (on a song like Money Note, chek out on YouTube there's the live at "La Cigale"), and really moving too, like she was on Pale Septembre.

There are a few lines missing (the english part), just after "Mais qui est cet homme qui tombe amoureux ?":

" I'll never go to the sun I'll never ever know if he's alive I'll never reach the sun I'll never ever know if he is still alive

I'll never reach the sun! "

Another meaning of "Je t'aime toujours" is "I still love you". Toujours can be used a few different ways. I think "I love you forever" is a bit more romantic, but "I still love you" would be more grammatically correct. If she said, "Je t'aimerais toujours" (which is, admittedly, a mouthful) or "I will love you forever" it wold be a bit clearer.

Beautiful song!