Life in Rosy Hues

On this warmest of days, St. Valentine’s Day, let’s remember one of the greatest endless romantics, the most emotional French chanteuses to ever grace our nearest memories – Edith Piaf. Despite her tragic beginnings, those close to her remember Edith for her loud antics, her uncompromising spirit and her unabashed love affair with the very married, middleweight champion of the world Marcel Cerdan. Although she had many lovers throughout her short life (she died at 47 of liver cancer) and married several times, the love of her life was Marcel Cerdan, and they were inseparable until his death in a plane crash in 1949. On a flight from Paris to New York, Marcel was to meet Edith in New York City to see her perform at The Versailles nightclub. Always uncompromising, upon hearing the news of his death, she insisted on performing anyway. But after his death, she was never the same.

Eyes that gaze into mine,
A smile that is lost on his lips—
That is the untouched portrait
Of the man to whom I belong.

When he takes me in his arms
And speaks softly to me,
I see life in rosy hues.
He tells me words of love,
Words of every day,
And in them I become something.
He has entered my heart,
A part of happiness
Whereof I understand the reason.
It’s he for me and I for him, throughout life,
He has told me, he has sworn to me, for life.
And from the things that I sense,
Now I can feel within me
My heart that beats.

In endless nights of love,
A great delight that comes about,
The pains and bothers are banished,
Happy, happy to die of love.

When he takes me in his arms
And speaks softly to me,
I see life in rosy hues.
He tells me words of love,
Words of every day,
And in them I become something.
He has entered my heart,
A part of happiness
Whereof I understand the reason.
It’s he for me and I for him, throughout life,
He has told me, he has sworn to me, for life.
And from the things that I sense,
Now I can feel within me
My heart that beats.

Happy Valentine’s Day. Who knew I was such a romantic?