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You Know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer etc. But....

Do you know about the Dark Side of the French Rudolph?

Ah, it’s December, and baby, it’s cold outside! Don’t be a grinch about the weather, though. Even if Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, tis the season to be jolly!

Whether you’re in church listening to yuletide carols being sung by a choir or at home decking your halls with boughs of holly, this time of year is often a magical season for many. Memories from childhood come rushing back with something as simple as a smell or a movie. There’s a lot history in every family’s Christmas, and although mine never really sang Christmas carols, I’ve always been a big fan of the music (d’où [hence] the really horrible puns at the beginning of this article).

The French Rudolf

Reading a translation of something you’re already familiar with can benefit your foreign language acquisition and how studying the similarities and differences can bring a new dimension to a text. Even something as simple as a name change can make you consider a new aspect of the character.

L’onomastique (onomastics), the study of the origins and usage of names, should be considered in every literary analysis. Let’s take Perdita from 101 Dalmatians as an example. Her name derives from the Latin perdere, (soit en français perdre or in French, perdre) meaning lost. Perdita itself means “lost one — a very fitting name for the story. Mersault from Albert Camus’s L’étranger has a name that would have more significance for a French speaker than an English speaker*. There have been many papers that study Mersault’s name in relation to his actions in the book. Meurt sot (die stupid), pronounced the same, is often presented as an analysis of the character’s name.

* Same goes for the title, too, actually. L’étranger in French already has un double sens (two meanings) — in English the word can be translated back as stranger or foreigner. Reading a translation of this won’t allow you to understand its full significance.

This is all super interesting, Josh, but what does it have to do with Christmas? Sorry, got a little carried away!  In 1823, a poem intitulé (called) “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” was published anonymously before being attributed to Clement Clarke Moore in 1837. Maybe you don’t know it by that title, but I’m sure if I give you the first line, you can complete it: ’Twas the night before Christmas…

It’s through this poem that Santa’s reindeer were all named for the first time. When the poem was translated, the reindeer’s names were also translated. Some were translated directly while others had brand new names attributed to them.

Want to delve deeper?

Look up all the reindeer’s attributes (for example, one of them is the strongest) and the meaning of their French names...

Tornade (Dasher) 

Danseur (Dancer) 

Furie (Prancer) 

Fringant (Vixen) 

Comète (Comet) 

Cupidon (Cupid) 

Tonnerre (Donder) 

Éclair (Blitzen)

Well, there’s 8, but we’re missing “the most famous reindeer of all.”

Where is Rudolph, and when did he come into play?

Rudolph made his first appearance in 1939 in a short book written by Robert L. May. The song was adapted to song 10 years later by May’s brother-in-law. It was recorded by Gene Autry and hit #1 on the Billboard pop singles in December 1949. We all know the story… Poor little Rudolph was picked on by reindeer bullies until one Christmas Eve when Santa noticed him and his bright nose and asked him to guide his sleigh. Now a hero, all of Rudolph’s little haters became fans and “shouted out with glee.” A cute story.

Unless you know the French version. Then you’ll be surprised to learn just why Rudolph’s nose was red. And that it wasn’t Santa who discovered him. And you have to see happened before he could guide the sleigh. Anyway, here is the song!

Quand la neige recouvre la verte Finlande 

When snow covers green Finland 

Et que les rennes traversent la lande 

And reindeer cross the heath 

Le vent dans la nuit 

The night wind 

Au troupeau parle encore de lui 

Still talks about him

 

On l’appelait Nez Rouge 

They called him Red Nose 

Ah comme il était mignon 

Oh, he was so cute 

Le pettit renne au nez rouge 

The little red-nosed reindeer 

Rouge comme un lumignon 

Red like a light

 

Son petit nez faisait rire 

His little nose made people laugh 

Chacun s’en moquait beaucoup 

Everyone made fun of it 

On allait jusqu’à dire 

They even said 

Qu’il aimait boire un petit coup 

That he liked to drink a little

 

Une fée qui l’entendit 

A fairy that heard him 

Pleurer dans le noir 

Crying in the darkness 

Pour le consoler 

To console him 

Lui dit : 

Told him: 

“Viens au paradis ce soir” 

Come to Heaven tonight

 

Comme un ange Nez Rouge 

Like a red-nosed angel 

Tu conduiras dans le ciel 

You’ll drive in the sky 

Avec ton p’tit nez rouge 

With your little red nose 

Le chariot du Père Noël 

Santa’s sleigh

 

Quand ses frères le virent d’allure aussi leste 

When his brothers saw him with such supple style 

Suivre très digne les routes célestes 

Following the celestial routes with dignity 

Devant ses ébats 

Before his frolicking 

Plus d’un renne resta baba 

More than one reindeer was shocked 

 

On l’appelait Nez Rouge 

They called him Red Nose 

Ah comme il était mignon 

Oh, he was so cute 

Le p’tit renne au nez rouge 

The little red-nosed reindeer 

Rouge comme un lumignon 

Red like a light

 

Maintenant qu’il entraîne 

Now that he’s guiding 

Son char à travers les cieux 

His sleigh across the skies 

C’est lui le roi des rennes 

He is the King of Reindeer 

Et son nez fait des envieux 

And his nose makes others jealous

 

Vous fillettes et garçons 

You, little boys and girls 

Pour la grande nuit 

For the big night 

Si vous savez vos leçons 

If you know your lessons 

Dès que sonnera minuit 

When midnight tolls

 

Ce petit point qui bouge 

The little dot that moves 

Ainsi qu’une étoile dans le ciel 

Like a far away star 

C’est le nez de Nez Rouge 

It’s Red Nose’s nose 

Annonçant le Père Noël (x2) 

Announcing Santa Claus

…what? So Rudolph’s nose was red because he would drink? Where did this fairy come from? And he had to go to Heaven before guiding the sleigh? Don’t you have to die first to go there? So many questions…

What do you think of the French version of Rudolph?

Just how do the French celebrate Christmas where you live or visit?

Cle Mortgages

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

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

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