"Vive le Vent" : A Popular French Christmas Carol

Learn How to Sing "Jingle Bells" in French

Christmas in Colmar, Alsace, France
Sami Sert/Getty Images

The song, Vive le Vent is the equivalent of "Jingle Bells" in French. It is sung to the same tune, but the words are completely different. It's a fun song and one that you'll want to learn and sing during the holiday season.

Vive le Vent Lyrics and Translation

Below you can read the lyrics for the French Christmas carol Vive le vent. The English is a literal translation and, as you'll notice, it only has one reference to bells. Yet, it does celebrate all the joys of the holidays, including time with family, snowy days, and all the things that add to the festive fun.

Vive plus a noun is a common construction used to honor someone or something. Most often, it is translated into English as "long live." You may recognize it from the popular expression Vive la France

French English
(Refrain)
Vive le vent, vive le vent,
Vive le vent d'hiver,
Qui s'en va sifflant, soufflant
Dans les grands sapins verts, oh !
(Refrain)
Long live the wind, long live the wind,
Long live the winter wind,
Which goes whistling, blowing
In the big green Christmas trees, 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)
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)
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, oh !
Along the long path
All white from the white snow
An old man advances
With his cane in his hand.
And all above the wind
Which whistles in the branches
Blows on him the romance
That he sang as a young child, oh!
Refrain Refrain
Joyeux, joyeux Noël
Aux mille bougies
Qu'enchantent vers le ciel
Les cloches de la nuit.
Vive le vent, vive le vent
Vive le vent d'hiver
Qui rapporte aux vieux enfants
Leurs souvenirs d'hier, oh !
Merry, Merry Christmas
To the thousand candles
Which delight toward heaven
The night's bells.
Long live the wind, long live the wind
Long live the winter wind
Which brings to old kids
Their memories of yesterday, oh!
Refrain Refrain
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, oh !
And the old man
Goes down toward the village,
It's the time when everyone 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, oh!
Refrain Refrain
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Team, ThoughtCo. ""Vive le Vent" : A Popular French Christmas Carol." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/vive-le-vent-french-christmas-carol-1368145. Team, ThoughtCo. (2023, April 5). "Vive le Vent" : A Popular French Christmas Carol. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/vive-le-vent-french-christmas-carol-1368145 Team, ThoughtCo. ""Vive le Vent" : A Popular French Christmas Carol." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/vive-le-vent-french-christmas-carol-1368145 (accessed March 28, 2024).