Translating Brassens is a subjective process. It is the author more than the songs that I try to transpose into English. These songs are personal interpretations that strive to respect the meaning and spirit of Brassens while recognizing the linguistic and cultural differences between French and English. It can be done to the extent that English speakers can appreciate in their mother tongue some of the verve, musicality and genius of a universally great wordsmith.

My goal is to end up with a song that flows and holds together, remains faithful to the original, and doesn't sound "translated". I have no qualms about taking liberties—huge ones at times— in the process, but in so doing I imagine having Tonton Georges looking over my shoulder and nodding his approval with a puff of pipe smoke, should he ever have spoken English.

Georges Brassens recorded 119 original songs over three decades, from 1952 until 1976. In addition, he set to his own music 16 works from some of his favourite poets. All of these, plus three recited poems, constitute Brassens' official recorded work. It spawns 12 recordings that were eventually released as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. This is the body of work that is of interest to me. But since Georges Brassens' unscheduled departure from the mortal scene in 1981, unreleased songs and texts in various states of completion have sprung to life. Who is to say what Tonton Georges would have done with them? More gems lurk, waiting to be mined...

Photos by Christian Kuntz