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Jacques Brel - My flat low land
Dutch songs with English translation, translated in English
Jacques Brel - My flat low land
Lyrics and music: Jacques Brel / Translation (Dutch): Ernst van Altena
(1965)
Jacques Brel - Mijn vlakke land (Le plat pays)
Tekst en muziek: Jacques Brel / Vertaling (Nl): Ernst van Altena
(1965)
© copyright translation
Dutch song Jacques Brel - Mijn vlakke land
with lyrics, music, video and English translation songtext
When our North Sea stubborn breaks upon the sand dunes
And flocks of foam burst white and spatter on the dike tops
And when the high tide brutal bangs the black basalt
And on the dike and dune is falling a grey fog
When during ebb the beach is rough and desert-like
And western winds are wet and howling with venom
My country fights, my flat low land
Wanneer de Noordzee koppig breekt aan de hoge duinen
En witte vlokken schuim uiteenslaan op de kruinen
Wanneer de norse vloed beukt aan een zwart basalt
En over dijk en duin de grijze nevel valt
Wanneer bij eb het strand woest is als een woestijn
En natte westenwinden gieren van venijn
Dan vecht mijn land, mijn vlakke land
And when the rain falls down on streets and squares and gardens
On roofs and on the spires of towering high churches
The only mountains in this flat unending land
And when beneath the clouds the people seem like dwarfs
When days pass by in steady order without clue
When puffed up east winds flatten the land even more
My country waits, my flat low land
Wanneer de regen daalt op straten, pleinen, perken
Op dak en torenspits van de hemelhoge kerken
Die in dit vlakke land de enige bergen zijn
Wanneer onder de wolken mensen dwergen zijn
Wanneer de dagen gaan in domme regelmaat
En bolle oostenwind het land nog vlakker slaat
Dan wacht mijn land, mijn vlakke land
When the low sky is skimming over water plains
When the low sky is teaching us humility
When the low sky is grey and bleak as stones and slate
When the low sky is pale and ashen as the mud
When northern winds are harshly quartering the plains
When stinging northern winds are stealing our breath
My country creaks, my flat low land
Wanneer de lage lucht vlak over ’t water scheert
Wanneer de lage lucht ons nederigheid leert
Wanneer de lage lucht er grijs als leisteen is
Wanneer de lage lucht er vaal als keileem is
Wanneer de noordenwind de vlakte vierendeelt
Wanneer de noordenwind er onze adem steelt
Dan kraakt mijn land, mijn vlakke land
But when the river Scheldt is glimmering in sun
And every Flemish woman strolls in summer dress
When the first spider weaves it's first web of the spring
Or steaming fields are trembling in the July-sun
And when the southern winds are laughing through the grain
The south winds are rejoycing here along the streets
My country cheers, my flat low land
Wanneer de Schelde blinkt in zuidelijke zon
En elke Vlaamse vrouw flaneert in zon-japon
Wanneer de eerste spin zijn lentewebben weeft
Of dampende het veld in juli-zonlicht beeft
Wanneer de zuidenwind er schatert door het graan
Wanneer de zuidenwind er jubelt langs de baan
Dan juicht mijn land, mijn vlakke land
© copyright translation
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Jacques Brel (1929-1978) was a singer and songwriter from Brussels, Belgium. His native language was French. Although Brussels is situated in Dutch speaking Flanders, the majority in Brussels and the elite of those days mainly spoke French. Jacques Brel recorded some translated songs in Dutch, with an unmistakable French accent.
Jacques Brel became internationally famous in the 1950's and 1960's. Some of his greatest hits are 'Ne me quitte pas'/'If you go away' (1959); 'Marieke' (1961); Bruxelles/'Brussels' (1963); 'Amsterdam' (1964); 'Les vieux amants'/'Long lasting love' (1967); and 'Voir un ami pleurer'/'To see a friend cry' (1977).
The above song 'My flat low land' (1965) describes the flat countryside of Vlaanderen (Belgium), that is very similar to the Dutch landscape. Together they are refered to as the 'Low Countries'. Every verse mentions a wind direction - and only when the southern winds blow, the country warms up and is cheerful. The song was a hit in both Belgium and the Netherlands. It is still voted every year into the Top 2000 (traditionally broadcasted on the radio in the last week of the year), as high as place 292/2000.
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Most of his French songs were translated to Dutch by Ernst van Altena and sung by Dutch performers ('Brel-interpreters') like Liesbeth List, Herman van Veen and Jeroen Willems.
After years of giving a high number of performances, but also of intensive smoking and drinking and hardly sleeping, Jacques Brel had to give up being on stage in 1967. He worked as an actor, but not very successful and sailed around the world with a beloved one, Maddly Bamy. They ended up on the island Hiva Oa in the Pacific Ocean. In 1974 he turned out to have lung cancer. Brel passed away in 1978, only 49 years old.
 More translated Dutch songs in the genre 'chanson' and more with the theme 'songs about other countries' (Flanders). See also the list of Dutch artists with all their songs on this website.
 Lyrics 'Mijn vlakke land' on Dutch website: Nederlandse songteksten.
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nederlandse liedjes met muziek vertaald naar het Engels met Engelse vertaling  niederländische lieder mit musik aus die Niederlande mit übersetzung in Englisch  chansons néerlandais de pays bas hollande avec traduction en anglais  canciones holandes de países bajos con translaciones traducción en inglés  canzone olandese olanda con musica traduzione inglese 
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© copyright translation
(2017)
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