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Dec 23

23rd December - Its Christmas, well almost

C’est Noel!

Well, not quite. Ce n’est pas encore Noel. But it will be soon enough. And it’s the perfect time to enjoy some Christmas music… en français.

Last week, we shared with you le chanson “Au Royaume du Bonhomme Hiver” (Walking in a Winter Wonderland).

There’s another holiday classic is often played on French airwaves during this season: “C’est Noel” (It’s Christmas). This is a French original and doesn’t have an equivalent in English. Written in 1956 by famous composer Henri Betti for the film Honoré de Marseille, it was performed by the actor and singer Fernandel. Supposedly, Betti wrote the song for the first Christmas he celebrated with his daughter.

The song switches between a modern Christmas celebration and a retelling of the nativity.

Merry Christmas

Here are the lyrics:

 

Un beau soir d’hiver près d’un grand sapin, 

Naquit dans une humble étable, 

L’enfant Jésus cet enfant divin, 

Et depuis pour les bambins. 

 

C’est Noel, sous un ciel de lumière. 

Les enfants, sagement à genou, 

Ce soir là, font tout bas leur prière. 

Doux Jésus, entends tu? Réponds nous!

 

Et Jésus descendu sur la terre 

Plein d’amour en ce jour solennel 

Fait surgir de partout 

A plaisir des joujoux 

Ce mystère c’est Noel

 

Cette belle nuit que le monde attend 

Nous rappelle notre enfance 

Par des souvenirs de Noel d’antan 

Et depuis cet heureux temps 

C’est Noel sous un ciel d’espérance 

Les bergers messagers du seigneur 

Vont chantant célébrant la naissance 

De celui qui conduit au bonheur

 

Vocabulary:

les bambins–toddlers/little kids

les bergers–the shepherds

conduire (conduit)–to drive/to lead

d’espérance–of hope

notre enfance–our childhood

une humble étable–a humble stable

des joujoux–toys (informal)

ce jour solennel–this solemn day

la naissance–the birth

sagement–wisely

sapin–fir tree (referring to a Christmas tree).

Cle France Currency Guide link

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

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

Add CommentViews: 3360
Dec 22

22nd December - O Christmas Tree In French

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)

Christmas Scene

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.

Cle France Currency Guide link

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

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

Add CommentViews: 7473
Dec 21

Currency Exchange News - Thursday 21st December

Outlook for Pound, Euro and Dollar 2024

A quick update on the latest trends.

Pound to Euro is trading sideways at the moment, moving in a fairly tight range.

Standing back though, the GBP / EUR rate is a lot closer to the high than the low for 2023.

The trend still looks positive for Pound to US Dollar (GBP/USD), having hit a three-month high last week.

Moving forward, we see 2024 as being a year of rate cuts.

Bear in mind, rate cuts tend to weaken a currency.

Markets expect the US Fed to lead the way (March is pencilled in) and the rest to follow.

We see the ECB joining in soon thereafter, but the UK holding back a few months (2nd half of 2024 perhaps).

The Bank of England seems to be the only major central bank still talking tough on inflation.

Everyone else is hinting at cuts. That is keeping the Pound strong for now.

With exchange rates currently 'stable', you might wish to secure a rate now and rest easy over the festive break.

So what next, what should you do?

Get ahead of the game and read our Guide to Foreign Currency Exchange.

Download the Guide Here - with no obligation of course.

With exchange rates currently 'stable', you might wish to secure a rate now and rest easy over the festive break.

You can speak to us on 01872 487 500.

Or to find out our latest rates, click below.

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Thursday 21st December 2023 at 08.45

£1.00 GBP = 1.1530 EURO

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£1.00 GBP = 1.0898 CHF

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Dec 21

21st December - French Christmas Carols

In The Kingdom Of The Winter Snowman

La période de Noel est ici (Christmas time is here) ! Every time I leave mon appartement (my apartment) I can hear les chants de Noel (Christmas carols) as I make my way to le marché de Noel to drink du vin chaud. While listening to la musique, I was surprised that many of les chansons (the songs) that I grew up with in English have French versions as well!

French Snowman

Image is “Snowman” by Toshiyuki Imai on Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

English and French versions

Hearing a song you know par coeur (by heart) in another language can be a strange experience. It’s easy to hum along, but not knowing any of les paroles (the lyrics) can be frustrating.

L’autre jour (the other day), I heard a very familiar song that I could not chanter (sing): Au Royaume du Bonhomme Hiver.

I couldn’t chanter because I only know la chanson in English: Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

After humming along and doing my best to listen to les paroles, I knew I would have to learn la chanson française.

Looking up les paroles taught me du nouveau vocabulaire (some new vocabulary) like le traîneau et le foulard (the sleigh and the scarf). It also taught me that la chanson is very different in french.

Most importantly, I could chanter the next time I heard la chanson!

Voici les paroles avec la traduction anglaise :

Au Royaume du Bonhomme HiverWalking in a Winter Wonderland!

 

Écoutez les clochettes

Du joyeux temps des fêtes

Annonçant la joie

De chaque cœur qui bat

Au royaume du bonhomme hiver.

 

Listen to the bells

Of the joyful holiday times

Announcing the joy

Of each beating heart

In the kingdom of the winter snowman.

 

Sous la neige qui tombe

Le traîneau vagabonde

Semant tout autour

Une chanson d’amour

Au royaume du bonhomme hiver.

 

Under the falling snow

The sleigh wanders

Spreading all around

A love song

In the kingdom of the winter snowman.

 

Le voilà qui sourit sur la place

Son chapeau, sa canne et son foulard

Il semble nous dire d’un ton bonasse

Ne voyez-vous donc pas qu’il est tard ?

 

There he is smiling in the plaza

His hat, his cane, and his scarf

Seemingly telling us in a soft tone

Don’t you see that it’s late?

 

Il dit vrai tout de même

Près du feu, je t’emmène

Allons nous chauffer dans l’intimité

Au royaume du bonhomme hiver.

 

He speaks the truth anyway

Next to the fire, I’m taking you

Let’s go warm up in privacy

In the kingdom of the winter snowman.

Cle France Currency Guide link

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

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

Add CommentViews: 4123
Dec 20

20th December - A Christmas Carol in French

A Christmas Carol En Version Française

There are many famous stories about la période des fêtes (the holiday season). My personal favorite is Un chant de Noël (A Christmas Carol) by Charles Dickens. Although originally in English, Un chant de Noël can help your French!

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Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol, Title page, First edition 1843. Wikimedia Commons.

You will know how it can be useful to watch your favorite TV shows and movies either with les sous-titres français or doublées en français (dubbed in French). While it’s preferable to watch a movie or a TV show en VOST, being familiar with the characters and the story in your first language can help you stay engaged in another language.

The same idea works with les livres (books)!

If you have a favorite book in English, you can usually find it en version française.

Dans l’esprit de Noël (in the Christmas spirit), one such example is Un chant de Noël, a story that has been retold many times and in many different styles. My first memory of the story is la version de Disney (the Disney version) where Balthazar Picsou (Scrooge McDuck) plays the role of Ebenezer Scrooge and Dingo (Goofy) is le fantôme de Jacob Marley (the ghost of Jacob Marley).

The novella is most commonly known as Un chant de Noël in French, but it was also published under the names of Cantique de Noël, Chanson de Noël, and Conte de Noël. No matter the version It’s easy to recognise le thème général (the overarching theme):

Scrooge déteste Noël

« Foutaises ! » 

Bob Cratchit, le pauve employée de Scrooge

Le fantôme de Marley visite Scrooge et lui dit qu’il va être hanté par trois esprits

L’esprit des Noëls passés

L’esprit du Noéls présent

L’esprit des Noëls à venir

Scrooge se reveille, il aime Noël et il veut changer sa vie

Scrooge hates Christmas

“Bah! Humbug!”

Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s poor employee

The ghost of Marley visits Scrooge and tells him that he will be haunted by three spirits

The Ghost of Christmas Past

The Ghost of Christmas Present

The Ghost of Christmas Future

Scrooge wakes up, he loves Christmas, and he wants to change his life

If you’re looking to practice your French during the holidays, try reading le grand classique (the great classic) in French.

Cle France Currency Guide link

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

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

Add CommentViews: 4595

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