Magma / OTIS, a translation attempt

     "Je vais vous parler d'un chanteur qui est mort en 1967 dans un accident d'avion, avec son orchestre les Bar-Kays. Il a contribué à perpétuer le cri; ce cri universel et intemporel, propre à toutes les musiques grandioses et célestes. Ce soir nous allons aussi essayer de perpétuer le cri. Nous te dédions ce morceau. Merci, Otis Redding."  

                                                        Christian Vander, Magma en concert à Bobino, 27/30 mai 1981.         

     "Let me tell you about the life of a singer who died in a plane crash accident in 1967, with his band The Bar-Kays. He helped to keep the 'scream' alive; that kind of timeless and universal cry, specific to all heavenly and great kinds of music. Tonight, we too will try to share that 'cry' with you. We dedicate this tune to you. Thank you, Otis Redding."

This is how Christian Vander introduced his track 'OTIS' during the Magma shows in 1981.
The song is a tribute to the life and music of the American singer-songwriter Otis Redding, who died on 10th December, 1967 in Lake Monona (Wisconsin) where his personal airplane crashed with him and four members of his band, The Bar-Kays.

Here is an attempt to translate the french lyrics to english. This work was done with my english students of the CFPM School of Music.

OTIS

instrumental intro is a quote from « Try a Little Tenderness » by Otis Redding

VERSE PATTERN 4/4 ||: F/Bb | Eb/Bb :||

Il est la vie, il est l'enfant
Il est la nuit, il est le chant – océan ...
Oooh ooh, ha ha, la mort n'est pas en Lui
Il me sourit, il est vivant ... OTIS

He's Life itself, he is the child
He is the night, he is the chant – from the sea...
Ooh ooh, ha ha, he's never gonna die
I see him smile, he is alive... OTIS OM

CHORUS 4/4 ||: Ebsus2/Bb F-/Bb | Gb/Bb Ebsus2/Bb | F-/Bb Gb/Bb Ebsus2/Bb:||

OTIS, ELÏSS, ELÏOSS, OTIS, ELÏSS, ELÏOSS¹

Comme un vaisseau dans l'océan
Comme un vaisseau vers le Néant – tu voles
Ta vie s'étire comme le plus beau sourire
Oiseau d'argent au firmament ... OTIS
 
Like a vessel sailing to sea
Like a vessel towards the void, you fly
Your life was like the most beautiful smile
Silvery bird in the Heavens ²... OTIS
OTIS, ELÏSS, ELÏOSS, OTIS, ELÏSS, ELÏOSS

Et dans ta nuit, les yeux blessés
Tu vois Memphis, illuminée
(Écoute) Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa, résonne encore LE CRI
Résonne OTIS, LE CRI est né.

In the darkness, follow the way
You'll see Memphis ³, glowing away
(Listen) Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa ⁴ ; echoing through the seas           

Cry out OTIS, THE SCREAM's in me

Réveille-toi OTIS ! ELÏOSS 
Réveille-toi OTIS ! ELÏOSS 
Tu te souviens DU CRI, OTIS... ELÏOSS 
Tu te souviens LE CRI, OTIS
... Dans les profondeur de ta nuit.
 

Come back to us OTIS, ELÏOSS
Come back to me OTIS, ELÏOSS
CRY one more time, OTIS ... ELÏOSS
D'ya remember THE SCREAM, OTIS
… Deep down in the abyss of the night.

Wooooh

Hey OTIS, yes !
Yeah OTIS, yes you're here

Good to me
Come, come … Got it OTIS ... Rise … Sing !!!

OTIS, ELÏSS, ELÏOSS...

CHORUS VARI 4/4 ||: Ebsus2/Db F-/Db | Gb/Bb Ebsus2/Db | F-/Db Gb/Db Ebsus2/Db:||

… OTIS !

ELËHN DEÏSS SEHND ELÏOSS
OTIS …

¹Kobaïan possible double interpretations / inspirations :

OM => ॐ  Hinduism/Buddhism : sacred sound that signifies the essence of the ultimate reality.

OTIS -He, the wealthy,   German, « son of otto » or « wealth, wealthy » / OTIS => Of Thee I Sing.
ELÏSS -He who is plenitude,   Elissa, Hebrew : « de elîsaba », « my God is plenitude ».

ELÏOSS -He, the light Eternal     Greek : « Hêlios », « sun ».

DEÏSS => close to « deus/dei », latin for « God », « the divine one », « supreme being ».

² All this verse seems to allude to the plane crash; the "vessel" and "silvery bird" could be the airplane, or Otis himself, "sailing" on the Styx, the river that forms the boundary between the earth and the Underworld in Greek mythology. The next verses could be seen as Otis' rebirth through incantation (the 'cry', the song itself), as if Vander could be possessed by him thanks to the 'cry/scream'.

³ Memphis, Tennessee is where Redding's label (Stax Records) was based. Knowing Vander's love for Egyptian mysticism and spirituality, there could be a double reference here; Memphis was also the ancient capital of Lower Egypt and inspired a Freemasonic ritual filled with Egyptians references known as the Ancient and Primitive Rite of Memphis-Misraïm.
See: 'Upper Egypt-Lower Egypt' by Pharoah Sanders (a major influence on Vander) on the album Tauhid, 1967.

⁴ Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) is a 1966 song by Otis Redding, that captures his habit of scatting with the horn section.

A great cover of the song by the band JAFIS recorded in 2009 for the album "Hür! Hommage à la musique de Christian Vander":