Good morning/Bonjour — warm wishes to you and your families for a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays (Joyeux Noël et Bonnes Fêtes de Fin d’Année)! We hope you are surrounded with your loved ones or if you’re not able to hug them tight this year that at least you can hear their voice and they can hear yours. With the large distances in the US, it is not always easy to get together but with the gift of technology, we can all stay connected so that is really a wonderful thing. So from us to you dear readers (chères lectrices), here are our sweet wishes…
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays – Joyeux Noël et Bonnes Fêtes de Fin d’Année
Vacances de Noël – Winter Vacation
We will be en vacances de Noël (in winter vacation) but we will be back with more recipes, tips, French country deco ideas, translations of your favorite French songs and much more to start a beautiful new year with you on Tuesday January 3rd, 2012. So stay tuned and in the meantime, feel free to come and visit us — we will be updating our Video du Jour daily and posting our morning questions on Facebook so we will still be checking up on you! And before we leave you for the holidays (we’ll miss you!), we wanted to share with you one of the song that is most fredonnée (hummed) during the holidays in France. It is sang by Tino Rossi – the warm and sweet grandfather like voice of Christmas. His most famous and most played Christmas song in France is Petit Papa Noël (Little Santa Claus). Hope you enjoy the video and the lyrics as well that we translated for you.
Petit Papa Noël (Little Santa Claus) by Tino Rossi
Tino Rossi (1907-1983), Petit Papa Noël
Tino Rossi Christmas Song — “Petit Papa Noël” Translation
| PAROLES | LYRICS |
| Petit Papa Noël | Little Santa Claus |
| 1st Couplet | 1st Verse |
| C’est la belle nuit de Noël | It is the beautiful night of Christmas |
| La neige étend son manteau blanc | Snow is laying down her white coat |
| Et les yeux levés vers le ciel | And with their eyes looking up to the sky |
| A genoux les petits enfants | On their knees, the little children |
| Avant de fermer les paupières | Before closing their eyes |
| Font une dernière prière | Make one last prayer |
| Refrain | Chorus |
| Petit Papa Noël | Little Santa Claus |
| Quand tu descendras du ciel | When you will come down from the sky |
| Avec tes jouets par milliers | With your thousands of toys |
| N’oublie pas mon petit soulier | Don’t forget my little shoe |
| 2nd Couplet | 2ieme Verse |
| Mais avant de partir, | But before you get going |
| Il faudra bien te couvrir | You will need to wear warm clothes |
| Dehors, tu vas avoir si froid | Outside, you will be so cold |
| C’est un peu à cause de moi. | And it’s a little bit because of me |
| Il me tarde tant que le jour se lève | I can’t wait for morning |
| Pour voir si tu m’as apporté | To see what you brought me |
| Tous les beaux joujoux | All of the beautiful toys |
| Que je vois en rêve | That I see in my dreams |
| Et que je t’ai commandés | And that I asked you for |
| Refrain | Chorus |
| Petit Papa Noël | Little Santa Claus |
| Quand tu descendras du ciel | When you will come down from the sky |
| Avec tes jouets par milliers | With your thousands if toys |
| N’oublie pas mon petit soulier | Don’t forget my little shoe |
| 3ieme Couplet | 3rd Verse |
| Le marchand de sable est passé | The sand man came |
| Les enfants vont faire dodo | The children go night night |
| Et tu vas pouvoir commencer | And you will be able to start |
| Avec ta hotte sur le dos | With your Christmas sack on your back |
| Au son des cloches des églises | To the sound of the church bells |
| Ta distribution de surprises | Your delivery of surprises |
| Et quand tu seras sur ton beau nuage | And when you will be on your beautiful cloud |
| Viens d’abord sur notre maison | Come first to our house |
| Je n’ai pas été tous les jours très sage | I have not been good every day |
| Mais j’en t’en demande le pardon | But I ask you to forgive me |
| Refrain | Chorus |
| Petit Papa Noël | Little Santa Claus |
| Quand tu descendras du ciel | When you will come down from the sky |
| Avec tes jouets par milliers | With your thousands if toys |
| N’oublie pas mon petit soulier | Don’t forget my little shoe |
| Petit Papa Noël! | Little Santa Claus! |
Joyeux Noël and Happy Holidays to You!
So once again, Joyeux Noel and Happy Hoplidays dear readers (chères lectrices)…wishing you much joy and happiness!