Jacques Brel was born in Brussels on 8 April 1929. He was the younger of two sons. He always had the impression that his childhood had been very static, dull and silent. He evoked this climate of boredom in his song ‘Mon enfance’. He did very badly at school and so, in 1947, he began work in the family cardboard business, Vanneste and Brel. LT → French, Dutch → Jacques Brel → Mon enfance → English. Mon enfance (English translation) Artist: Jacques Brel; Song: Mon enfance 5 translations. Au pied du trop grand lit - At the foot of the too large bed Je voulais prendre un train - I wanted to take a train Que je n'ai jamais pris - I was never to take.