Je vois la vie en rose

Originally performed by France’s former national chanteuse, Edith Piaf, La Vie en Rose is a song that tells a lovely poetic tale about a woman who is slowly falling in love. The usage of simple yet endearing words to describe the little things that can only be noticed when one is in love makes the song even more unique.

La Vie en Rose, translated directly means “life in pink” and has the same definition as the English saying “to see with rose-colored glasses” which means to be a romantic that seek beauty in everything that he or she sees. Romanticizing is often looked upon as childish. This perception may come from its definition which is “to idealize and make something better than it is.” Romanticizing is then regarded as deceiving one’s own self, consequently skewing the objective perception of reality.

However, childish it may sound, a small dose of romantic is vital for us to appreciate the obstacles of life, to celebrate the flaws that we possess, and to ultimately be at peace with ourselves. Quoting Hannah Raila and her fellow researchers from Yale University, there is a strong link between emotion and how we pay attention to the world around us. “Selective attention” is the word to describe how our brains by filtering out thoughts that they consider to be irrelevant. This process is strongly connected to our bias and how we choose to perceive the reality that we face. Selective attention is so important as it affects one’s wellbeing and ability to reach his or her true potential.

Romanticizing can be a reason for us to persevere through hardship, only if it is managed with considerable maturity. To idealize our acne scars as something that elevates our attractiveness instead of a flaw, to celebrate our failure as a stepping stone towards success, to appreciate the smell of rain after a long day of work, romanticizing guides us to beauty. And by observing beauty, happiness will come naturally. Romanticizing in dribs and drabs walk us to acceptance instead of bringing us away from it. Choose to see the brighter side. Choose to be kind to yourself. Choose to be romantic.

“Il me parle l\’a tout bas”

(He speaks to me softly)

“Je vois la vie en rose”

(And I see life through rose-colored glasses)

If you are interested to listen to the original song by Edith Piaf, you can click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzeLynj1GYM

Here is a lovely English cover by Daniela Andrade (original English version by Louis Armstrong): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ba_WoSZXvw&list=RD3Ba_WoSZXvw&start_radio=1

Writer : Ahmad Nuruddin Bin Azhar

Edited by : Nur Izzah Arrina Binti Muhamd Nasir