This is a Chanson Realiste 1956 song composed by Charles Dumont and written by Michel Vaucaire for the French singer Edith Piaf.
Edith Piaf dedicated the song to the French Foreign Legion as France was then engaged in the Algerian War.
The French Foreign Legion still performs this song when they are on parades.
It has since been covered by countless artists and in several languages.
The song is based on the narrator’s view that she’s swept her past away and she doesn’t regret a thing.
It is a powerful anthem of resilience and self-acceptance.
Resilience:
“Non, je ne regrette rien (No, I don’t regret anything)
Ni le bien qu’on m’a fait (Neither the good done to me)
Ni le mal (Nor the evil)
Tout ça m’est bien égal” (This is all the same to me)
“C’est payé, balayé, oublié (It has been spent, brushed away, forgotten)
Je me fous du passé” (I don’t give a damn about the past)
Acceptance and fresh start:
“Avec mes souvenirs (With my memories)
J’ai allumé le feu (I lit a fire)
Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs (My sorrows and pleasures)
Je n’ai plus besoin d’eux (I no longer need them)
Balayé les amours (Swept past love away)
Avec leurs trémolos (With their tremors)
Balayé pour toujours (Swept away forever)
Je repars à zéro” (I am starting from scratch)
New love or sense of belonging:
“Non, je ne regrette rien (No, I don’t regret anything)
Car ma vie (As my life)
Car mes joies (As my joys)
Aujourd’hui (Today)
Ça commence avec toi” (Are starting with you)
Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien
qu’on m’a fait
Ni le mal
Tout ça m’est bien égal
Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
C’est payé, balayé,
oublié
Je me fous du passé
Avec mes souvenirs
J’ai allumé le feu
Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs
Je n’ai plus besoin d’eux
Balayé les amours
Avec leurs trémolos
Balayé pour toujours
Je repars à zéro
Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien
qu’on m’a fait
Ni le mal
Tout ça m’est bien égal
Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Car ma vie
Car mes joies
Aujourd’hui
Ça commence avec toi
No, nothing at all.
No, I don’t regret anything.
Neither the good
that was done to me
nor the evil.
This is all the same to me
No, nothing at all.
No, I don’t regret anything.
It’s been spent, brushed away
forgotten.
I don’t give a damn about the past
With my memories
I lit a fire.
My sorrows, my pleasures.
I don’t need them anymore
sweep the past loves away
with their tremors
swept away forever.
I’m starting from scratch.
No, nothing at all.
No, I don’t regret anything.
Nor the good
that was done to me
nor the evil.
This is all the same to me
No, nothing at all.
No, I don’t regret anything
As my life
as my joys
Today
start with you.

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