French Chansons Friday: Quand J'ai Vu Tes Mains (A New Regular Feature!)

As you may or may not know, I'm a big fan of reading *ahem* or maybe rather skimming (for the most part) lots of blogs. I'm subscribed to fair old few on google reader and that's one of my regular internet hang outs. Some of them have regular features. I'm hoping to blog soon about something I went to on Wednesday for young people in Brussels, and whilst I was there, singing, I had a sudden inspirtation, wanting to share all of these wonderful French songs with you, I realised there would be too many, however, why not start a regular feature hey? I give you... French Chansons Friday. (yep I just chose Friday because of the alliteration :)

I'm going to translate the songs although not in a way that I imagine would be singable. They are generally the first translations that come to mind, and hence, how I would think of it more or less in my head whilst singing. Please feel free any french-speakers to correct dodgy translations. French is just soooo much more beautiful than English and there are nuances in words I don't really know how to translate, but I hope you enjoy anyway. Or as the French would say... "quand même"!

Quand j'ai vu tes mains guérir tant de malades ;
When I saw your hands healing the sick
Quand j'ai vu tes mains qui rompaient le pain,
When I saw your hands which broke the bread
Pour nourrir tout autour de toi
To feed all those around you
Des milliers d'hommes...
Thousands of men

Seigneur en retour reçois mon amour !
Lord in return accept my love!
Seigneur en retour reçois mon amour !
Lord in return accept my love!

Quand j'ai vu tes pieds saigner de partout ;
When I saw your feet bleeding all over
Quand j'ai vu tes pieds percés par le clou,
When I saw your feet pierced by the nail
Pour sauver tout autour de toi
To save all those around you
Des milliers d'hommes...
Thousands of men

Quand j'ai vu tes yeux pleins de pleurs, de larmes ;
When I saw your eyes crying, full of tears
Quand j'ai vu tes yeux au regard d'amour
When I saw your eyes full of love
Pardonner tout autour de toi
To forgive all those around you
Des milliers d'hommes...
Thousands of men

Et quand j'ai vu ton corps meurtri de coups ;
And when I saw your body wounded by blows
Quand j'ai vu ton corps vivant malgré tout,
When I saw your body living despite everything
Ressusciter pour toujours
Resurrected forever
Des milliers d'hommes...
For thousands of men

© 1973 CHANSON PHILIPPE Mission Evangélique, Boîte Postale 173, 97324 CAYENNE, GUYANE FRANCAISE

Sadly this one isn't available on youtube, or rather it is, but they're all SO awful I can't even want to link them to be funny. If you really want to know vaguely how it goes, type in the title to youtube and there are two or three videos.