In a corner of my heart there’s a scar
That I have borne since I was young
For, alas, the one I cared for
Didn’t love what I loved
He only loved cities
Distant countries, deep seas
And I only loved the fields
The fair fields of my Brittany
Forced to choose between two affections
Love for a Country, love for a man
I’ve given my life to my nation
And let go of the one I loved
I never saw him again later
Heard nothing of his life’s course
The scar in my heart stays there
For he didn’t love what I love.
Every man must follow his Destiny
In this World that’s the law
My heart’s crushed most certainly
But he didn’t love what I love
For him riches, honors
For me disdain and poverty
But I’d not exchange for treasures
My Country, my Language and my Liberty.
December 1963.
Translated by Lenora Timm
