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.

French listening comprehension 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.

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(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.

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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)

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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

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Et le vieux monsieur
Descend vers le village,
C’est l’heure 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

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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

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Video courtesy of The Best Christmas Songs. Translation by LKL

  Listening comprehension

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Grammar

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