Strijdlied/protestsong du jour: The Partisan

“La Complainte du Partisan” werd in 1943 geschreven door Emmanuel D’Astier de la Vigerie  en Anna Marly. Het wordt vaak verward met het eveneens door Marly geschreven “Le Chant des Partisans” (waarover morgen meer). Buiten Frankrijk is de song vooral bekend geworden door de uitvoering van Leonard Cohen op de in 1969 uitgebrachte lp “Songs from a Room“. Het is een van de meest desolate songs op een toch al volstrekt desolate lp.  Cohen’s versie is wonderschoon en effectief in de schildering van de eenzaamheid en de angst die de partizanen regelmatig bevangen moet hebben.

When they poured across the border
I was cautioned to surrender,
this I could not do;
I took my gun and vanished.
I have changed my name so often,
I’ve lost my wife and children
but I have many friends,
and some of them are with me.

An old woman gave us shelter,
kept us hidden in the garret,
then the soldiers came;
she died without a whisper.

There were three of us this morning
I’m the only one this evening
but I must go on;
the frontiers are my prison.

Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing,
through the graves the wind is blowing,
freedom soon will come;
then we’ll come from the shadows.

Les Allemands étaient chez moi (The Germans were at my home)

ils m’ont dit “Résigne-toi” (They said, “Surrender,”)
mais je n’ai pas pu (this I could not do)
j’ai repris mon arme (I took my weapon again)

J’ai changé cent fois de nom (I have changed names a hundred times)
j’ai perdu femme et enfants (I have lost wife and children)
mais j’ai tant d’amis (But I have so many friends)
j’ai la France entière (I have all of France)

Un vieil homme dans un grenier (An old man, in an attic)
pour la nuit nous a cachés (Hid us for the night)
les Allemands l’ont pris (The Germans captured him)
il est mort sans surprise (He died without surprise)

Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing,
through the graves the wind is blowing,
freedom soon will come;
then we’ll come from the shadows.

Hier de versie van Les Compagnons de la Chanson. Meer gedragen en minder desolaat dan Cohen’s versie. Nog steeds heel fraai, natuurlijk.