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À la claire fontaine
Learn French with À la claire fontaine. Read each French line with its English translation, use the reading tools, and tap selected French words to discover their meanings.
À la claire By the clear fountain,
M’en allant , As I went for a walk,
J’ai trouvé l’eau si belle, I found the water so beautiful,
Que je m’y suis . That I bathed in it.
REFRAIN
Il y a longtemps que je t’aime, I have loved you for a long time,
Jamais je ne t’oublierai. I will never forget you.
Sous les feuilles d’un Under the leaves of an oak tree,
Je me suis fait sécher, I let myself dry,
Sur la plus haute branche, On the highest branch,
Un chantait. A nightingale was singing.
REFRAIN
Il y a longtemps que je t’aime, I have loved you for a long time,
Jamais je ne t’oublierai. I will never forget you.
Chante, , chante, Sing, nightingale, sing,
Toi qui as le cœur , You whose heart is cheerful,
Tu as le cœur à rire, Your heart is inclined to laugh,
Moi, je l’ai à . Mine is inclined to cry.
REFRAIN
Il y a longtemps que je t’aime, I have loved you for a long time,
Jamais je ne t’oublierai. I will never forget you.
J’ai perdu mon ami I have lost my beloved,
Sans l’avoir , Without having deserved it,
Pour un de roses, Because of a bouquet of roses,
Que je lui . That I refused to give.
REFRAIN
Il y a longtemps que je t’aime, I have loved you for a long time,
Jamais je ne t’oublierai. I will never forget you.
Je voudrais que la rose I wish that the rose,
Fût encore au , Were still on the rosebush,
Et que mon doux ami And that my sweet beloved,
Fût encore à m’aimer. Were still loving me.
What is “À la claire fontaine” about? This traditional French-language song tells of a person remembering a lost love while resting beside a clear fountain. Nature, memory, love, and regret are woven together through the fountain, the oak tree, the nightingale, and the roses. The English lines above are learner-friendly translations.
📖 New French words
- la fontaine
- the fountain
- se promener
- to go for a walk
- se baigner
- to bathe
- oublier
- to forget
- un chêne
- an oak tree
- un rossignol
- a nightingale
- gai / gaie
- cheerful
- pleurer
- to cry
- mériter
- to deserve
- un bouquet
- a bouquet
- refuser
- to refuse
- un rosier
- a rosebush