All the stuff you never knew you needed to know about life in rural France.....and all the stuff the books and magazines won't tell you.

Thursday 22 December 2011

Merry Christmas

My favourite French carol...so soothing after a surfeit of commercial muzak in the supermarkets....I hope you enjoy it.




I have given the words below...please forgive the background as I had to copy and paste to keep the accents! 


Quelle est cette odeur agréable,
bergers, qui ravit tous nos sens?
S'exhale t'il rien de semblable
au milieu des fleurs du printemps?
Quelle est cette odeur agréable
bergers, qui ravit tous nos sens?

Mais quelle éclatante lumière
Dans la nuit vient frapper nos yeux
L'astre de jour, dans sa carrière,
Fu-til jamais si radieux!
Mais quelle éclatante lumière
Dans la nuit vient frapper nos yeux

Voici beaucoup d'autres merveilles!
Grand Dieu! qu'entends-je dans les airs?
Quelles voix! Jamais nos oreilles
N'ont entendu pareils concerts.
Voici beaucoup d'autres merveilles!
Grand Dieu! qu'entends-je dans les airs? 

Ne craignez rien, peuple fidèle
Écoutez l'Ange du Seigneur;
Il vous annonce une merveille
Qui va vous combler de bonheur.
Ne craignez rein, peuple fidèle
Écoutez l'Ange du Seigneur.

A Bethléem, dans une crêche
Il vient de vous naitre-un Sauveur
allons, que rien ne vous empêche
D'adorer votre redémpteur
A Bethléem, dans une crêche,
Il vient de vous naître-un Sauveur.

Dieu tout puissant, gloire éternelle
vous soit rendue jus-qu'aux cieux.
Que la paix soit universelle
que la grace abonde en tous lieux.
Dieu tout puissant, gloire éternelle
vous soit rendue jus-qu'aux cieux


13 comments:

  1. And a happy Christmas to you too. Wishing you all the best (house renovations, etc.) for the New Year, xx

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  2. Pueblo girl, Thank you....and best wishes to you too.
    I suppose like us you will be slaving over a hot stove to meet the gourmet needs of the whippet and kitten...

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  3. Exquisite, Fly. It's a very long time since I heard that sung in French, so thank you for reminding me of it.

    Enjoy your tropical Christmas while we shiver. :-)

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  4. Hope you have a lovely Christmas and a very, very happy New year.

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  5. Perpetua, That's how I first heard it, at school, and I've always preferred it in French..

    I must say I don't miss the winter....at all!

    Steve, all good wishes to you and your family...keep on blogging, your posts make my day!

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  6. Merry Christmas and a happy new year, to you and yours.

    Thanks for the carol, I had not heard it before.

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  7. Mark in Mayenne, thank you, have a great time...and don't forget the faithful fans of your water carrier when blogging next year...

    The carol seems to have become submerged lately...I didn't hear it much in the last few years I was in France.

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  8. For someone who isn't religious, I just love carols and hymns sung by a beautiful choir. That was lovely.
    Seasons greetings to you and Mr Fly with much love xx

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  9. Ayak, nothing like music to touch the heart.
    Have a great trip...just couple of days now...loveXX

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  10. Just dropping by to say Merry Christmas. I've been away this month (needed a blogging break) but normal service to resume in January. Thanks for following and commenting so regularly this year.

    Hope your Christmas is all you wished for.

    Mark

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  11. Mark, I look forward to the resumption of normal service..you know how it is with us junkies...

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  12. still sounds beautiful even on Jan 13

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  13. paul...doesn't it just!
    What a super site you have!

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