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Noël de Bourg-en-Bresse - French Christmas Carol

Lyrics for "Noël de Bourg-en-Bresse," a traditional French Christmas carol

  
Noël de Bourg-en-Bresse is a traditional French Christmas carol. As far as I know, there is no equivalent English version of this Christmas carol. The translation given here is literal.
 

La, la, la, la
Noël, Noël est venu
Nous ferons belle ripaille
Il était si mal vêtu
Qu'il allât droit chez la taille
Pour avoir un balandran
De joli drap de roman
Et s'en fut heureux chantant
Voir l'enfant avec la vierge
Et s'en fut heureux chantant
Voir la vierge avec l'enfant.
  La, la, la, la
Christmas, Christmas has come
We will have a lovely feast
He was so badly dressed
That he went straight to the tailor
To get a waterproof cloak
Made of pretty Roman cloth
And made himself happy singing
See the child with the virgin
And made himself happy singing
See the child with the virgin.
Noël se mordit le poing
Quand il vit dedans la crèche
Qu'il n'y avait qu'un peu d'foin
Et trois brins de paille fraîche.
Il se mit vite à genoux
Pour embrasser l'enfant doux
En soufflant ses petits doigts
Qui grelo, qui grelottaient
En soufflant ses petits doigts
Grelo, grelottant de froid.
  Christmas bit its fist
When he saw inside the manger
That there was only a little hay
And three wisps of fresh straw.
He quickly got to his knees
To kiss the sweet child
While blowing on his fingers
That were shak, that were shaking
While blowing on his fingers
That were shak, that were shaking.
Dès que la ville de Bourg
Eut appris la grande nouvelle
On fit battre le tambour
Pour tout mettre par écuelle
Les poulardes, les chapons
Les saucissons, les jambons
Les dindonneaux à foison,
C'est pour faire, c'est pour faire.
Les dindonneaux à foison,
C'est pour faire un réveillon.
Lon, lon, lon, lon, lon, lon.
  As soon as the town of Bourg
Heard the great news
They beat a drum
To put everything on a platter
Fattened chickens, capons
Sausages, hams
An abundance of turkey,
It's to make, it's to make.
An abundance of turkey,
It's to make a Christmas Eve feast.
Lon, lon, lon, lon, lon, lon.
À nous deux, père Alexis
Il nous faut faire une offrande
Et se mettre cinq ou six
Pour danser la sarabande
Avec notre gros bourdon
Nous chanterons tout de bon
Noël, Noël est venu
Nous ferons belle ripaille
Noël, Noël est venu
Ah, qu'il soit le bienvenu. (bis)
  The two of us, father Alexis
We need to make an offering
And get together with five or six
To dance the saraband
With our great bell
We will really sing
Christmas, Christmas has come
We will have a lovely feast
Christmas, Christmas has come
Oh, how he is welcome. (repeat)

  

French Christmas carols     French Advent Calendar

Christmas in France     12 Days of French     Christmas links

  

  

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