The Gambler

Don Schlitz

Lyrics Translation

On a warm summer's evening
On a train bound for nowhere
I met up with the gambler
We were both too tired to sleep
So we took turns a-starin'
Out the window at the darkness
The boredom overtook us
And he began to speak

He said, "Son, I've made a life
Out of readin' people's faces
Knowin' what the cards were
By the way they held their eyes
So if you don't mind my sayin'
I can see you're out of aces
For a taste of your whiskey
I'll give you some advice"

So I handed him my bottle
And he drank down my last swallow
Then he bummed a cigarette
And asked me for a light
And the night got deathly quiet
And his face lost all expression
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy
You gotta learn to play it right

You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done

Every gambler knows
That the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away
And knowin' what to keep
'Cause every hand's a winner
And every hand's a loser
And the best that you can hope for
Is to die in your sleep"

And when he'd finished speakin'
He turned back toward the window
Crushed out his cigarette
Faded off to sleep
And somewhere in the darkness
The gambler he broke even
But in his final words
I found an ace that I could keep

You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done

You've got to know when to hold 'em (when to hold 'em)
Know when to fold 'em (when to fold 'em)
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done

You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done

On a warm summer's evening
Numa noite quente de verão
On a train bound for nowhere
Num trem a caminho de lugar nenhum
I met up with the gambler
Eu encontrei com o jogador
We were both too tired to sleep
Estávamos ambos cansados demais para dormir
So we took turns a-starin'
Então nos revezávamos olhando
Out the window at the darkness
Pela janela para a escuridão
The boredom overtook us
O tédio nos dominou
And he began to speak
E ele começou a falar
He said, "Son, I've made a life
Ele disse, "Filho, eu fiz uma vida
Out of readin' people's faces
Lendo os rostos das pessoas
Knowin' what the cards were
Sabendo quais eram as cartas
By the way they held their eyes
Pela maneira como eles olhavam nos olhos
So if you don't mind my sayin'
Então, se você não se importa que eu diga
I can see you're out of aces
Eu posso ver que você está sem ases
For a taste of your whiskey
Por um gole do seu uísque
I'll give you some advice"
Eu te darei alguns conselhos"
So I handed him my bottle
Então eu lhe entreguei minha garrafa
And he drank down my last swallow
E ele bebeu meu último gole
Then he bummed a cigarette
Depois ele pediu um cigarro
And asked me for a light
E me pediu fogo
And the night got deathly quiet
E a noite ficou mortalmente silenciosa
And his face lost all expression
E seu rosto perdeu toda expressão
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy
Ele disse, "Se você vai jogar o jogo, garoto
You gotta learn to play it right
Você tem que aprender a jogar direito
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Você tem que saber quando segurá-los
Know when to fold 'em
Saber quando dobrá-los
Know when to walk away
Saber quando se afastar
And know when to run
E saber quando correr
You never count your money
Você nunca conta seu dinheiro
When you're sittin' at the table
Quando está sentado à mesa
There'll be time enough for countin'
Haverá tempo suficiente para contar
When the dealin's done
Quando a negociação estiver concluída
Every gambler knows
Todo jogador sabe
That the secret to survivin'
Que o segredo para sobreviver
Is knowin' what to throw away
É saber o que jogar fora
And knowin' what to keep
E saber o que guardar
'Cause every hand's a winner
Porque toda mão é uma vencedora
And every hand's a loser
E toda mão é uma perdedora
And the best that you can hope for
E o melhor que você pode esperar é morrer
Is to die in your sleep"
Dormindo
And when he'd finished speakin'
E quando ele terminou de falar
He turned back toward the window
Ele voltou-se para a janela
Crushed out his cigarette
Apagou seu cigarro
Faded off to sleep
E adormeceu
And somewhere in the darkness
E em algum lugar na escuridão
The gambler he broke even
O jogador empatou
But in his final words
Mas em suas últimas palavras
I found an ace that I could keep
Eu encontrei um ás que eu poderia guardar
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Você tem que saber quando segurá-los
Know when to fold 'em
Saber quando dobrá-los
Know when to walk away
Saber quando se afastar
And know when to run
E saber quando correr
You never count your money
Você nunca conta seu dinheiro
When you're sittin' at the table
Quando está sentado à mesa
There'll be time enough for countin'
Haverá tempo suficiente para contar
When the dealin's done
Quando a negociação estiver concluída
You've got to know when to hold 'em (when to hold 'em)
Você tem que saber quando segurá-los (quando segurá-los)
Know when to fold 'em (when to fold 'em)
Saber quando dobrá-los (quando dobrá-los)
Know when to walk away
Saber quando se afastar
And know when to run
E saber quando correr
You never count your money
Você nunca conta seu dinheiro
When you're sittin' at the table
Quando está sentado à mesa
There'll be time enough for countin'
Haverá tempo suficiente para contar
When the dealin's done
Quando a negociação estiver concluída
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Você tem que saber quando segurá-los
Know when to fold 'em
Saber quando dobrá-los
Know when to walk away
Saber quando se afastar
And know when to run
E saber quando correr
You never count your money
Você nunca conta seu dinheiro
When you're sittin' at the table
Quando está sentado à mesa
There'll be time enough for countin'
Haverá tempo suficiente para contar
When the dealin's done
Quando a negociação estiver concluída
On a warm summer's evening
En una cálida tarde de verano
On a train bound for nowhere
En un tren con destino a ninguna parte
I met up with the gambler
Me encontré con el jugador
We were both too tired to sleep
Ambos estábamos demasiado cansados para dormir
So we took turns a-starin'
Así que nos turnamos para mirar
Out the window at the darkness
Por la ventana a la oscuridad
The boredom overtook us
El aburrimiento nos superó
And he began to speak
Y él comenzó a hablar
He said, "Son, I've made a life
Dijo, "Hijo, he hecho una vida
Out of readin' people's faces
De leer las caras de la gente
Knowin' what the cards were
Sabiendo qué cartas eran
By the way they held their eyes
Por la forma en que mantenían sus ojos
So if you don't mind my sayin'
Así que si no te importa que te diga
I can see you're out of aces
Puedo ver que te has quedado sin ases
For a taste of your whiskey
Por un trago de tu whisky
I'll give you some advice"
Te daré un consejo"
So I handed him my bottle
Así que le entregué mi botella
And he drank down my last swallow
Y él bebió mi último trago
Then he bummed a cigarette
Luego pidió un cigarrillo
And asked me for a light
Y me pidió fuego
And the night got deathly quiet
Y la noche se volvió mortalmente silenciosa
And his face lost all expression
Y su cara perdió toda expresión
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy
Dijo, "Si vas a jugar el juego, chico
You gotta learn to play it right
Tienes que aprender a jugarlo bien
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Tienes que saber cuándo mantenerlas
Know when to fold 'em
Saber cuándo doblarlas
Know when to walk away
Saber cuándo alejarte
And know when to run
Y saber cuándo correr
You never count your money
Nunca cuentes tu dinero
When you're sittin' at the table
Cuando estás sentado en la mesa
There'll be time enough for countin'
Habrá tiempo suficiente para contar
When the dealin's done
Cuando se haya hecho el reparto
Every gambler knows
Todo jugador sabe
That the secret to survivin'
Que el secreto para sobrevivir
Is knowin' what to throw away
Es saber qué descartar
And knowin' what to keep
Y saber qué mantener
'Cause every hand's a winner
Porque cada mano es una ganadora
And every hand's a loser
Y cada mano es una perdedora
And the best that you can hope for
Y lo mejor que puedes esperar es morir
Is to die in your sleep"
En tu sueño
And when he'd finished speakin'
Y cuando terminó de hablar
He turned back toward the window
Se volvió hacia la ventana
Crushed out his cigarette
Apagó su cigarrillo
Faded off to sleep
Y se desvaneció en el sueño
And somewhere in the darkness
Y en algún lugar en la oscuridad
The gambler he broke even
El jugador salió a mano
But in his final words
Pero en sus últimas palabras
I found an ace that I could keep
Encontré un as que podía guardar
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Tienes que saber cuándo mantenerlas
Know when to fold 'em
Saber cuándo doblarlas
Know when to walk away
Saber cuándo alejarte
And know when to run
Y saber cuándo correr
You never count your money
Nunca cuentes tu dinero
When you're sittin' at the table
Cuando estás sentado en la mesa
There'll be time enough for countin'
Habrá tiempo suficiente para contar
When the dealin's done
Cuando se haya hecho el reparto
You've got to know when to hold 'em (when to hold 'em)
Tienes que saber cuándo mantenerlas (cuándo mantenerlas)
Know when to fold 'em (when to fold 'em)
Saber cuándo doblarlas (cuándo doblarlas)
Know when to walk away
Saber cuándo alejarte
And know when to run
Y saber cuándo correr
You never count your money
Nunca cuentes tu dinero
When you're sittin' at the table
Cuando estás sentado en la mesa
There'll be time enough for countin'
Habrá tiempo suficiente para contar
When the dealin's done
Cuando se haya hecho el reparto
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Tienes que saber cuándo mantenerlas
Know when to fold 'em
Saber cuándo doblarlas
Know when to walk away
Saber cuándo alejarte
And know when to run
Y saber cuándo correr
You never count your money
Nunca cuentes tu dinero
When you're sittin' at the table
Cuando estás sentado en la mesa
There'll be time enough for countin'
Habrá tiempo suficiente para contar
When the dealin's done
Cuando se haya hecho el reparto
On a warm summer's evening
Par une chaude soirée d'été
On a train bound for nowhere
Dans un train en route pour nulle part
I met up with the gambler
J'ai rencontré le joueur
We were both too tired to sleep
Nous étions tous les deux trop fatigués pour dormir
So we took turns a-starin'
Alors nous avons pris des tours à fixer
Out the window at the darkness
Par la fenêtre dans l'obscurité
The boredom overtook us
L'ennui nous a envahis
And he began to speak
Et il a commencé à parler
He said, "Son, I've made a life
Il a dit, "Fils, j'ai fait une vie
Out of readin' people's faces
En lisant les visages des gens
Knowin' what the cards were
Sachant quelles étaient les cartes
By the way they held their eyes
Par la façon dont ils tenaient leurs yeux
So if you don't mind my sayin'
Donc si tu ne te déranges pas que je le dise
I can see you're out of aces
Je peux voir que tu es à court d'as
For a taste of your whiskey
Pour une gorgée de ton whisky
I'll give you some advice"
Je te donnerai quelques conseils"
So I handed him my bottle
Alors je lui ai tendu ma bouteille
And he drank down my last swallow
Et il a bu ma dernière gorgée
Then he bummed a cigarette
Puis il a demandé une cigarette
And asked me for a light
Et m'a demandé du feu
And the night got deathly quiet
Et la nuit est devenue mortellement silencieuse
And his face lost all expression
Et son visage a perdu toute expression
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy
Il a dit, "Si tu veux jouer au jeu, garçon
You gotta learn to play it right
Tu dois apprendre à bien jouer
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Tu dois savoir quand les garder
Know when to fold 'em
Savoir quand les plier
Know when to walk away
Savoir quand partir
And know when to run
Et savoir quand courir
You never count your money
Tu ne comptes jamais ton argent
When you're sittin' at the table
Quand tu es assis à la table
There'll be time enough for countin'
Il y aura assez de temps pour compter
When the dealin's done
Quand la distribution sera terminée
Every gambler knows
Chaque joueur sait
That the secret to survivin'
Que le secret pour survivre
Is knowin' what to throw away
C'est de savoir quoi jeter
And knowin' what to keep
Et savoir quoi garder
'Cause every hand's a winner
Parce que chaque main est gagnante
And every hand's a loser
Et chaque main est perdante
And the best that you can hope for
Et le mieux que tu puisses espérer est de mourir
Is to die in your sleep"
Dans ton sommeil
And when he'd finished speakin'
Et quand il a fini de parler
He turned back toward the window
Il s'est tourné vers la fenêtre
Crushed out his cigarette
A écrasé sa cigarette
Faded off to sleep
Et s'est endormi
And somewhere in the darkness
Et quelque part dans l'obscurité
The gambler he broke even
Le joueur a fait jeu égal
But in his final words
Mais dans ses derniers mots
I found an ace that I could keep
J'ai trouvé un as que je pouvais garder
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Tu dois savoir quand les garder
Know when to fold 'em
Savoir quand les plier
Know when to walk away
Savoir quand partir
And know when to run
Et savoir quand courir
You never count your money
Tu ne comptes jamais ton argent
When you're sittin' at the table
Quand tu es assis à la table
There'll be time enough for countin'
Il y aura assez de temps pour compter
When the dealin's done
Quand la distribution sera terminée
You've got to know when to hold 'em (when to hold 'em)
Tu dois savoir quand les garder (quand les garder)
Know when to fold 'em (when to fold 'em)
Savoir quand les plier (quand les plier)
Know when to walk away
Savoir quand partir
And know when to run
Et savoir quand courir
You never count your money
Tu ne comptes jamais ton argent
When you're sittin' at the table
Quand tu es assis à la table
There'll be time enough for countin'
Il y aura assez de temps pour compter
When the dealin's done
Quand la distribution sera terminée
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Tu dois savoir quand les garder
Know when to fold 'em
Savoir quand les plier
Know when to walk away
Savoir quand partir
And know when to run
Et savoir quand courir
You never count your money
Tu ne comptes jamais ton argent
When you're sittin' at the table
Quand tu es assis à la table
There'll be time enough for countin'
Il y aura assez de temps pour compter
When the dealin's done
Quand la distribution sera terminée
On a warm summer's evening
An einem warmen Sommerabend
On a train bound for nowhere
In einem Zug, der nirgendwohin fuhr
I met up with the gambler
Traf ich auf den Spieler
We were both too tired to sleep
Wir waren beide zu müde zum Schlafen
So we took turns a-starin'
Also wechselten wir uns beim Starren ab
Out the window at the darkness
Aus dem Fenster in die Dunkelheit
The boredom overtook us
Die Langeweile überkam uns
And he began to speak
Und er begann zu sprechen
He said, "Son, I've made a life
Er sagte: "Sohn, ich habe ein Leben gemacht
Out of readin' people's faces
Aus dem Lesen von Gesichtern
Knowin' what the cards were
Wissen, was die Karten waren
By the way they held their eyes
An der Art, wie sie ihre Augen hielten
So if you don't mind my sayin'
Also, wenn es dir nichts ausmacht, dass ich es sage
I can see you're out of aces
Ich kann sehen, dass du keine Asse mehr hast
For a taste of your whiskey
Für einen Schluck deines Whiskeys
I'll give you some advice"
Gebe ich dir einen Rat"
So I handed him my bottle
Also gab ich ihm meine Flasche
And he drank down my last swallow
Und er trank meinen letzten Schluck
Then he bummed a cigarette
Dann schnorrte er sich eine Zigarette
And asked me for a light
Und bat mich um Feuer
And the night got deathly quiet
Und die Nacht wurde totenstill
And his face lost all expression
Und sein Gesicht verlor jeden Ausdruck
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy
Er sagte: "Wenn du das Spiel spielen willst, Junge
You gotta learn to play it right
Du musst lernen, es richtig zu spielen
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Du musst wissen, wann du sie halten sollst
Know when to fold 'em
Wissen, wann du sie falten sollst
Know when to walk away
Wissen, wann du gehen sollst
And know when to run
Und wissen, wann du rennen sollst
You never count your money
Du zählst nie dein Geld
When you're sittin' at the table
Wenn du am Tisch sitzt
There'll be time enough for countin'
Es wird genug Zeit zum Zählen geben
When the dealin's done
Wenn das Austeilen vorbei ist
Every gambler knows
Jeder Spieler weiß
That the secret to survivin'
Dass das Geheimnis des Überlebens
Is knowin' what to throw away
Ist zu wissen, was man wegwerfen soll
And knowin' what to keep
Und zu wissen, was man behalten soll
'Cause every hand's a winner
Denn jede Hand ist ein Gewinner
And every hand's a loser
Und jede Hand ist ein Verlierer
And the best that you can hope for
Und das Beste, was du hoffen kannst, ist zu sterben
Is to die in your sleep"
Im Schlaf
And when he'd finished speakin'
Und als er fertig gesprochen hatte
He turned back toward the window
Drehte er sich wieder zum Fenster
Crushed out his cigarette
Löschte seine Zigarette aus
Faded off to sleep
Und schlief ein
And somewhere in the darkness
Und irgendwo in der Dunkelheit
The gambler he broke even
Der Spieler ging auf Null
But in his final words
Aber in seinen letzten Worten
I found an ace that I could keep
Fand ich ein Ass, das ich behalten konnte
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Du musst wissen, wann du sie halten sollst
Know when to fold 'em
Wissen, wann du sie falten sollst
Know when to walk away
Wissen, wann du gehen sollst
And know when to run
Und wissen, wann du rennen sollst
You never count your money
Du zählst nie dein Geld
When you're sittin' at the table
Wenn du am Tisch sitzt
There'll be time enough for countin'
Es wird genug Zeit zum Zählen geben
When the dealin's done
Wenn das Austeilen vorbei ist
You've got to know when to hold 'em (when to hold 'em)
Du musst wissen, wann du sie halten sollst (wann du sie halten sollst)
Know when to fold 'em (when to fold 'em)
Wissen, wann du sie falten sollst (wann du sie falten sollst)
Know when to walk away
Wissen, wann du gehen sollst
And know when to run
Und wissen, wann du rennen sollst
You never count your money
Du zählst nie dein Geld
When you're sittin' at the table
Wenn du am Tisch sitzt
There'll be time enough for countin'
Es wird genug Zeit zum Zählen geben
When the dealin's done
Wenn das Austeilen vorbei ist
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Du musst wissen, wann du sie halten sollst
Know when to fold 'em
Wissen, wann du sie falten sollst
Know when to walk away
Wissen, wann du gehen sollst
And know when to run
Und wissen, wann du rennen sollst
You never count your money
Du zählst nie dein Geld
When you're sittin' at the table
Wenn du am Tisch sitzt
There'll be time enough for countin'
Es wird genug Zeit zum Zählen geben
When the dealin's done
Wenn das Austeilen vorbei ist
On a warm summer's evening
In una calda serata estiva
On a train bound for nowhere
Su un treno diretto verso il nulla
I met up with the gambler
Ho incontrato il giocatore d'azzardo
We were both too tired to sleep
Eravamo entrambi troppo stanchi per dormire
So we took turns a-starin'
Così ci siamo alternati a fissare
Out the window at the darkness
Fuori dalla finestra nell'oscurità
The boredom overtook us
La noia ci ha sopraffatti
And he began to speak
E lui ha iniziato a parlare
He said, "Son, I've made a life
Ha detto, "Figlio, ho fatto una vita
Out of readin' people's faces
Leggendo i volti delle persone
Knowin' what the cards were
Sapendo quali erano le carte
By the way they held their eyes
Dal modo in cui tenevano i loro occhi
So if you don't mind my sayin'
Quindi se non ti dispiace che io dica
I can see you're out of aces
Vedo che sei a corto di assi
For a taste of your whiskey
Per un assaggio del tuo whisky
I'll give you some advice"
Ti darò un consiglio"
So I handed him my bottle
Così gli ho passato la mia bottiglia
And he drank down my last swallow
E lui ha bevuto il mio ultimo sorso
Then he bummed a cigarette
Poi ha chiesto una sigaretta
And asked me for a light
E mi ha chiesto un accendino
And the night got deathly quiet
E la notte è diventata silenziosa come la morte
And his face lost all expression
E il suo volto ha perso ogni espressione
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy
Ha detto, "Se vuoi giocare il gioco, ragazzo
You gotta learn to play it right
Devi imparare a giocarlo bene
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Devi sapere quando tenerli
Know when to fold 'em
Sapere quando piegarli
Know when to walk away
Sapere quando andarsene
And know when to run
E sapere quando correre
You never count your money
Non conti mai i tuoi soldi
When you're sittin' at the table
Quando sei seduto al tavolo
There'll be time enough for countin'
Ci sarà abbastanza tempo per contare
When the dealin's done
Quando il gioco è finito
Every gambler knows
Ogni giocatore sa
That the secret to survivin'
Che il segreto per sopravvivere
Is knowin' what to throw away
È sapere cosa buttare via
And knowin' what to keep
E sapere cosa tenere
'Cause every hand's a winner
Perché ogni mano è una vincitrice
And every hand's a loser
E ogni mano è una perdente
And the best that you can hope for
E la cosa migliore che puoi sperare è di morire
Is to die in your sleep"
Nel tuo sonno
And when he'd finished speakin'
E quando ebbe finito di parlare
He turned back toward the window
Si voltò di nuovo verso la finestra
Crushed out his cigarette
Spense la sua sigaretta
Faded off to sleep
E si addormentò
And somewhere in the darkness
E da qualche parte nell'oscurità
The gambler he broke even
Il giocatore d'azzardo ha pareggiato
But in his final words
Ma nelle sue ultime parole
I found an ace that I could keep
Ho trovato un asso che potevo tenere
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Devi sapere quando tenerli
Know when to fold 'em
Sapere quando piegarli
Know when to walk away
Sapere quando andarsene
And know when to run
E sapere quando correre
You never count your money
Non conti mai i tuoi soldi
When you're sittin' at the table
Quando sei seduto al tavolo
There'll be time enough for countin'
Ci sarà abbastanza tempo per contare
When the dealin's done
Quando il gioco è finito
You've got to know when to hold 'em (when to hold 'em)
Devi sapere quando tenerli (quando tenerli)
Know when to fold 'em (when to fold 'em)
Sapere quando piegarli (quando piegarli)
Know when to walk away
Sapere quando andarsene
And know when to run
E sapere quando correre
You never count your money
Non conti mai i tuoi soldi
When you're sittin' at the table
Quando sei seduto al tavolo
There'll be time enough for countin'
Ci sarà abbastanza tempo per contare
When the dealin's done
Quando il gioco è finito
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Devi sapere quando tenerli
Know when to fold 'em
Sapere quando piegarli
Know when to walk away
Sapere quando andarsene
And know when to run
E sapere quando correre
You never count your money
Non conti mai i tuoi soldi
When you're sittin' at the table
Quando sei seduto al tavolo
There'll be time enough for countin'
Ci sarà abbastanza tempo per contare
When the dealin's done
Quando il gioco è finito

Trivia about the song The Gambler by Kenny Rogers

On which albums was the song “The Gambler” released by Kenny Rogers?
Kenny Rogers released the song on the albums “The Gambler” in 1978, “Greatest Hits” in 1980, “Twenty Greatest Hits” in 1983, “Through the Years: A Retrospective” in 1998, “Kenny Rogers (1999)” in 1999, “42 Ultimate Hits” in 2004, “20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kenny Rogers” in 2004, “Number Ones” in 2006, “25 Greatest Hits” in 2007, “50 Years” in 2008, and “The First 50 Years” in 2009.
Who composed the song “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers?
The song “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers was composed by Don Schlitz.

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