Track 5: Carpe Diem (“Seize the Moment”)
Carpe Diem is a song that we can all relate to in one way or another. Many of us will be familiar with the Latin aphorism, which translates as “Seize the Day” or “Seize the Moment”, as it is intended here. And, indeed, many of us share 1Key’s inner battle between existing in the here-and-now and worrying about the future. In an age of instant communications, global terror threats, and economic uncertainty, fear and anxiety are arguably on the rise. Some people think about their future, with its endless possibilities and increasingly high expectations, and become overwhelmed. Many others are forced to live from day to day; crippled by political, economic and/or social insecurities, they are unable to make plans for the futures they desire.
While the chorus is light and relatable, the longer verse lines are delivered with urgency and passion. I particularly enjoy 1Key’s use of imagery. He tells us that he’s decided to: “Jump on every opportunity that life presents and devour it.” (Translated from French to English) He asks the evocative question: “Why do we cling so much to the imaginary and let the present slide through our fingers?” (Translated from French to English) Forever challenging us to participate in his art, and to seek out deeper meaning, 1Key makes reference to mathematics and to the riddle of the chicken and the egg. The wordsmith cleverly ties together his ideas through word play, relating “mathematical problems” and unsolvable riddles to “life problems”, which 1Key has decided not to focus on. He’d prefer to Carpe Diem!

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Song lyrics and translations
Carpe Diem (“Seize the Moment” [Track 5 on Entre 2 album, 2015])
Prod. Junior Kafi (Kigali); French, Lingala. |
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[Verse 1] | [Verse 1] |
Prisonnier lié au fil du temps | Prisoner bound by the thread of time |
Produit d’hier vendu au present | Yesterday’s product sold to the present |
Livré à la merci de l’instant suivant | Left at the mercy of the next moment |
Entre le désir de rester vivant et la crainte ultime de disparaître dans le néant | Between the desire to remain alive and the fear of disappearing into the void |
Je ne suis qu’un étranger ici | I’m just a stranger here |
Un passager en transit perdu entre l’arrivée et l’exit | A passenger in transit lost between arrival and exit |
Inconnu dans ma quête, mon nom aurait dû être Ix | Unknown in my quest, my name should have been X |
Gausse/Gosse dans ma tête, tout me parait comme un matrix | Gauss/Child in my mind, everything seems to be like a matrix |
Une équation linéaire à plusieurs degrés | A linear equation but with lots of levels |
Les questions deviennent plus compliquées au fur du temps, malgré leur simplicité | Questions become more complex with time despite their simplicity |
Comme l’énigme de l’oeuf et de la poule on peut pas tout résoudre | Just like the riddle of the chicken and the egg, we cannot solve everything |
Ca va paraitre paresseux, con même | It might sound lazy, or even stupid |
Mais depuis que je traite plus la vie comme un problème | But ever since I stopped looking at life like a problem |
Elle est devenue plus vivable, plus facile | It has become more livable |
Je ne me demande plus pourquoi j’existe ni pourquoi j’écris depuis que j’ai compris | I no longer ask why I exist or why I write since I understand |
Que je ne vis que pour ces moments qui animent mon esprit | That I live for these moments which make my spirit vibrate |
Au fond, romancer l’instant, c’est ça faire de la poésie | Because deep inside romancing time, that is poetry |
— | — |
[Hook] | [Hook] |
Entre le passé et l’avenir… Carpe Diem | Between the past and the future… Carpe Diem |
Carpe Diem Carpe Diem | Carpe Diem Carpe Diem |
Carpe Diem Carpe Diem | Carpe Diem Carpe Diem |
Carpe Diem Carpe Diem | Carpe Diem Carpe Diem |
— | — |
[Verse 2] | [Verse 2] |
Parce que le passé n’est qu’un collage d’images stockées dans nos mémoires | Because the past is just a collage of images stored in our memories |
Un film qui varie avec l’âge car chaque nouveau détail change la version de l’histoire | A film which varies with time because every new detail changes the story |
Parce que l’avenir n’est qu’un mirage fait de nos peurs et nos espoirs | Because the future is just a mirage made of our hopes and fears |
Pourquoi s’accrocher à l’imaginaire et laisser le présent nous glisser entre les doigts? | Why do we cling so much to the imaginary and let the present slide through our fingers? |
Le temps passé ne revient jamais et demain ne nous appartient pas | Yesterday is gone and tomorrow does not belong to us |
Entre les regrets d’hier et la crainte de demain moi j’ai décidé de saisir le présent à deux mains | Between the regrets of yesterday and the fears of tomorrow I decided to seize the present in both my hands |
Sauter sur chaque occaz que la vie présente et la croquer à pleines dents | Jump on every opportunity that life presents and devour it |
Instinct animal, l’intuition guide mes pas | Animal instinct, I am guided by my intuition |
J’ai foi en elle c’est pourquoi je crois en moi | I have faith in it, that’s why I believe in me |
Mon destin est un freestyle, ma vie un spectacle | My fate is a freestyle, my life a theatre |
Biopic d’un artiste qui ne cesse de se battre et se débattre | Biopic from an artist who doesn’t cease to fight |
Une pièce dramatique dans laquelle je joue le rôle principal | A dramatic play in which I am the protagonist
|
Chaque jour commence avec une nouvelle page | Every day begins with a new page |
Avant de la tourner, je check le tatoo sur mon bras | Before I turn it, I look at the tattoo on my arm |
Il lit carpe diem | And it reads carpe diem |
— | — |
[Hook] | [Hook] |
Entre le passé et l’avenir… Carpe Diem | Between the past and the future… Carpe Diem |
Carpe Diem Carpe Diem | Carpe Diem Carpe Diem |
Carpe Diem Carpe Diem | Carpe Diem Carpe Diem |
Carpe Diem Carpe Diem | Carpe Diem Carpe Diem |
— | — |
[Outro] | [Outro] |
Eza systeme ya invasion | It’s an invasion |
Toye kosimba mokolo | And we came to seize the day |
Eza ya yo papa | It’s yours papa[1] |
Simba, ma, kamata! Kamata! | Seize it, grab it, get it! Get it! |
Lobi ezalaka te | Tomorrow doesn’t exist |
Lelo ya yo lobi soki eye, eza ya yo! | Today is yours, if tomorrow comes make it yours too! |
Ma, kamata, ma, kamata! | Grab it, get it, grab it, get it! |
Simba mokolo | Seize the day |
Simba mokolo | Seize the day |
Simba mokolo | Seize the day |
Simba mokolo | Seize the day |
Hahahahaha… | Hahahahaha… |
[1] In Kinshasa, DRC Papa is slang for “man”, “bro”, “dude”, etc.