| French | English |
|---|---|
| C'est l'histoire d'un diable, sortant tout droit des flammes | This is the story of a devil straight out of the flames |
| Promettant au fermier de lui laisser son âme | Who promised the farmer he would spare his soul |
| S'il partageait ensemble le fruit de la moisson | If they shared the fruits of the land |
| À chacun sa moitié c'est une obligation | To each his half, the bargain was struck |
| Le diable choisit pour que l'entente soit bonne | To sweeten the deal the devil chose |
| De garder ce qu'il reste sur la terre à l'automne | To keep what remained on the ground in the fall |
| Le fermier accepta et planta des panais | The farmer agreed and planted parsnips |
| Des patates des carottes véritables navets | Potatoes and carrots and turnips |
| Qui cèderait pour un rien | Who would give away for nothing |
| Les richesses de ses terres | The bounties of his land? |
| Du diable ou de l'homme | The devil or the man |
| À qui la bonne affaire | Who made a better deal? |
| Quand arriva le temps d'échanger le butin | When the time came to share the wealth |
| Le diable en maudit ne lui restait plus rien | The devil, furious to find himself empty-handed |
| Dit alors au fermier « pour changer l'an prochain | Told the farmer "For a change, next year |
| Prenez donc à vot' tour, c'qui pousse sur le terrain » | It will be your turn to harvest above ground" |
| Le fermier accepta et planta cette fois | The farmer agreed and this time planted |
| Des tomates des courgettes des melons et des pois | Tomatoes and squash and melons and peas |
| Le diable aux récoltes rapaillant le néant | Then came the harvest, the devil reaping nothing |
| Retourna vers Satan, le fermier triomphant | Returned to Satan as the farmer triumphed |
| Qui jouerait son avenir | Who would gamble his future |
| Sans connaitre le marché | Without knowing the stakes? |
| Qui voudrait fractionner | Who would want to fracture |
| La terre dessous ses pieds | The earth beneath his feet? |
| Le diable revint respectant sa parole | The devil returned, true to his word |
| De l'eau du gaz du fer, il viderait le sol | He would drain the land of water, iron and gas |
| Alors à la surface qu'allait-il bien pousser? | What, then, would grow on the land? |
| L'eau souillée et les fuites de gaz empoisonné? | Tainted water and poisonous gas leaks? |
| Les ressources dépouillées, il s'était enrichi | Resources depleted, the devil became rich |
| Laissant que du béton le diable repartit | And went away leaving only concrete |
| La terre fragilisée comme ce Québécois | The earth shattered like this Québécois |
| Condamné à bouillir l'eau que son enfant boit | Condemned to boil the water for his child to drink |
| Mais au bout de l'histoire | But in the end |
| Qui donc aura perdu | Who has lost |
| Ses précieuses énergies | His precious energy, |
| Les enjeux du pari | The true stake of the bet? |
Le diable et le fermier
Written by Nicolas Boulerice
As recorded by Le Vent du Nord on Tromper le temps