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Ah ! Les crocodiles
Learn French with Ah ! Les crocodiles. Read each French line with its English translation, then hover over or tap selected French words to see their meanings.
Un , s’en allant en , A crocodile, setting off to war,
Disait au r’voir à ses petits . Said goodbye to his little children.
Traînant ses pieds dans la , Dragging his feet through the dust,
Il s’en allait combattr‘ les . He was going off to fight the elephants.
REFRAIN (bis)
Ah ! Les cro, cro, cro (bis)
les crocodiles
Ah! The cro, cro, cro (repeat twice), the crocodiles
Sur les bords du , ils sont partis, Along the banks of the Nile, they went away,
N’en parlons plus. Let’s say no more about it.
Il une march‘ , He was humming a military march,
Dont il mâchait les mots à grosses dents. Chewing the words with his big teeth.
Quand il ouvrait la tout entière, When he opened his jaws wide,
On croyait voir ses dedans. You might think you could see his enemies inside.
REFRAIN (bis)
Ah ! Les cro, cro, cro (bis)
les crocodiles
Ah! The cro, cro, cro (repeat twice), the crocodiles
Sur les bords du , ils sont partis, Along the banks of the Nile, they went away,
N’en parlons plus. Let’s say no more about it.
Il agitait sa grande à l’arrière, He waved his great tail behind him,
Comme s’il était d’avance . As though he were already triumphant.
Les devant sa mine altière, The animals, seeing his proud expression,
Dans les , s’enfuyaient tout . Fled trembling through the forests.
REFRAIN (bis)
Ah ! Les cro, cro, cro (bis)
les crocodiles
Ah! The cro, cro, cro (repeat twice), the crocodiles
Sur les bords du , ils sont partis, Along the banks of the Nile, they went away,
N’en parlons plus. Let’s say no more about it.
Un parut : et sur la terre, An elephant appeared, and on the ground,
Se prépara ce de . This battle of giants was about to begin.
Mais près de là courait une , But nearby a river was flowing,
Le s’y jeta . The crocodile suddenly threw himself into it.
REFRAIN (bis)
Ah ! Les cro, cro, cro (bis)
les crocodiles
Ah! The cro, cro, cro (repeat twice), the crocodiles
Sur les bords du , ils sont partis, Along the banks of the Nile, they went away,
N’en parlons plus. Let’s say no more about it.
Et tout rempli d’une salutaire, And filled with a very sensible fear,
S’en retourna vers ses petits . He went back home to his little children.
Notre , d’une plus fière, Our elephant, with an even prouder trunk,
Voulut alors accompagner ce . Then wanted to join in with this song.
REFRAIN (bis)
Ah ! Les cro, cro, cro (bis)
les crocodiles
Ah! The cro, cro, cro (repeat twice), the crocodiles
Sur les bords du , ils sont partis, Along the banks of the Nile, they went away,
N’en parlons plus. Let’s say no more about it.
What is “Ah ! Les crocodiles” about? It is a playful French children’s song about a crocodile who sets off to fight the elephants. He marches proudly toward battle, but when an elephant appears, the crocodile quickly jumps into the river and returns to his children. The English lines above are a learner-friendly translation of the French text.
📖 New French words
- un crocodile
- a crocodile
- la guerre
- war
- les enfants
- children
- la poussière
- dust
- un éléphant
- an elephant
- le Nil
- the Nile
- fredonner
- to hum
- militaire
- military
- la gueule
- mouth; jaws
- un ennemi
- an enemy
- la queue
- tail
- triomphant
- triumphant
- les animaux
- animals
- une forêt
- a forest
- tremblant
- trembling
- un combat
- a fight; battle
- un géant
- a giant
- une rivière
- a river
- subitement
- suddenly
- la crainte
- fear
- une trompe
- an elephant’s trunk
- un chant
- a song; singing