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My Beautiful Fir Tree – O Christmas Tree In French

L’esprit des fêtes (the holiday spirit) is stronger than ever with Noël just around the corner. This festive time of the year is the perfect moment to add un chant de Noël français (a French Christmas carol) to your holiday playlist!

Les chants de Noël are a big part of the ambiance of the holiday season.

Les chansons (the songs) complete the scene of les chausettes de Noël (Christmas stockings) resting above la cheminée (the fireplace) with a pile of cadeaux (gifts, presents) waiting under the wonderful sapin de Noël (Christmas tree).

Le sapin de Noël is lucky enough to have its own chant de Noël:

Mon beau sapin - O Christmas Tree (literally: My Beautiful Fir Tree)

La chanson, like le calendrier d’Avent, is a holiday tradition that came from Germany. Mon beau sapin was originally called O Tannenbaum en allemand (in German) and translates to O Fir Tree. Ses origines (its origins) go back as far as 1550, but it’s the more modern version written by Ernst Anshütz in 1824 that became known all over the world.

Interestingly, la chanson did not specifically refer to Noël at first, but slowly became associated with the holiday with the rise in popularity of les sapins de Noël. By the 20th century it was a standard chant de Noël like Au Royaume du Bonhomme Hiver and was translated into many languages, including anglais et français (English and French).

In between opening presents and walks around les marchés de Noël, take a moment to learn ce chant de Noël français!

Voici Mon beau sapin avec les paroles et une traduction : 

Mon beau sapin, roi des forêts

Que j’aime ta verdure

Quand par l’hiver, bois et guérets

Sont dépouillés de leurs attraits

Mon beau sapin, roi des forêts

Tu gardes ta parure

My beautiful fir tree, king of the forests

How I love your greenness

When in winter, woods and fallow lands

Are stripped of their charm

My beautiful fir tree, king of the forests

You keep your decorations

Toi que Noël planta chez nous

Au saint Anniversaire

Joli sapin, comme ils sont doux,

Et tes bonbons, et tes joujoux

Toi que Noël planta chez nous

Tu répands la lumière.

You who put Christmas in our home

The holy birthday

Lovely pine, how pleasant they are

And your sweets, and your toys

You who put Christmas in our home

You spread the light.

Mon beau sapin, tes verts sommets

Et leur fidèle ombrage

De la foi qui ne ment jamais

De la constance et de la paix.

Mon beau sapin tes verts sommets

M’offrent la douce image.

And their faithful shade

Faith that never lies

Loyalty and peace

My beautiful fir tree, your green peaks

Give me that pleasant image.

Wishing You a Merry Christmas.

Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.