‘vive Le Vent’

‘Jingle Bells’ is one of the most famous Christmas songs of the English speaking world. Its popularity encouraged author and actor, Francis Blanche, to translate the lyrics into French in 1948. However, while the original talks about ‘dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh’, the translation conjures up images of pine forests and rural villages, full of festive spirit during the Christmas period.

Lyrics

Sur le long chemin
Tout blanc de neige blanche ;
Un vieux monsieur s’avance
Avec sa canne dans la main ;
Et tout là-haut le vent
Qui siffle dans les branches
Lui souffle la romance
Qu’il chantait petit enfant.

Vive le vent, vive le vent, vive le vent d’hiver
Qui s’en va, sifflant, soufflant
Dans les grands sapins verts, Oh !
Vive le vent, vive le vent, vive le vent d’hiver
Boule de neige et jour de l’an
Et ‘Bonne Année grand-mère !’

Et le vieux monsieur
Descend vers le village;
C’est l’heure où tout est sage
Et l’ombre danse au coin du feu ;
Mais dans chaque maison
Il flotte un air de fête ;
Partout la table est prête
Et l’on entend la même chanson.

Literal Translation

On the long road,
All thick with white snow,
An old man goes along
Walking stick in hand,
And the wind high above
Which whistles in the branches,
Breathes to him the romance
That he sang of as a child.

Feel the wind, feel the wind, feel the winter wind
Which blows, whistling, puffing
Through the great green firs, hey!
Feel the wind, feel the wind, feel the winter wind
Snow balls and New Year’s Day
And ‘Happy New Year’ grandma! 

And the old man
Comes down towards the village.
It is the hour where everything is wise
And shadows dance around the fire;
But in every house
There floats a festive feel
In every home the table is laid
And you will hear the same song.

You can listen to the song HERE