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Vive le vent

French listening practice with side-by-side translation

Listen to Vive le vent, a French winter holiday carol sung to the same tune as "Jingle Bells." Below the video, you’ll find the lyrics and literal translation.

Listening comprehension: See the links at the bottom for lessons related to the phrases in italics.

Vive le vent : Paroles	Long live the wind: 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.	Translation On the long path All white with white snow An old man advances With his cane in his hand. And way up high the wind Which whistles in the branches Whispers to him the romance That he sang as a young child. [collapse]
(Refrain) Oh ! Vive le vent, vive le vent, Vive le vent d’hiver, Qui s’en va sifflant, soufflant Dans les grands sapins verts.	Translation (Refrain) Oh! Long live the wind, long live the wind, Long live the winter wind, Which goes whistling, blowing In the big green fir trees. [collapse]
Oh ! Vive le temps, vive le temps, Vive le temps d’hiver, Boules de neige et Jour de l’An Et bonne année grand-mère ! (Fin du refrain)	Translation Oh! Long live the weather, long live the weather, Long live the winter weather, Snowballs and New Year’s Day and happy new year Grandma! (End of refrain) [collapse]
Joyeux, joyeux Noël Aux mille bougies Qu’on chante vers le ciel Les cloches de la nuit. Et dans chaque maison Il flotte un air de fête Partout la table est prête Et l’on entend la même chanson. Refrain	Translation Merry, merry Christmas To the thousand candles That we sing toward heaven The night’s bells. And in each house There’s a festive air Everywhere the table is ready And you hear the same song. Refrain [collapse]
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. Refrain	Translation And the old man Goes down toward the village, It’s the time when everything is good And the shadow dances near the fire. But in each house There’s a festive air Everywhere the table is ready And you hear the same song. Refrain [collapse]
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. Refrain	Translation On the long path All white from the white snow An old man advances With his cane in his hand. And way up there the wind Which whistles in the branches Whispers to him the romance That he sang as a young child. Refrain [collapse]
Video courtesy of The Best Christmas Songs.	Translation by LKL

Listening comprehension

Expressions

Grammar

Tout blanc de neige blanche – adjective agreement
Un vieux monsieur s’avance, Qui s’en va – pronominal verbs
sa canne – possessive adjective
le vent Qui siffle, C’est l’heure où tout est sage – relative pronouns
le vent … Lui souffle – indirect object
il chantait – imperfect
Vive le vent – third-person command (learn more: vive la France)
sifflant, soufflant – present participles
les grands sapins verts – adjective placement
Et l’on entend – l’on vs on

French Holiday Links

French proficiency test by

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