And now vacation is over Posted by Tim Hildreth on Aug 29, 2017 in Culture, Music, Vocabulary
Back at the begining of August, we welcomed les grandes vacances (the period of French summer vacations) with a fun chanson (song) from Dorothée. Now as we get ready to return to l’école ou le travail (school or work), here’s another one to welcome la rentrée!
| Finies les vacances, | Vacation time is over |
| On s’est bien amusés | We had a good time |
| [A vous] | [Now you] |
| On en a tous bien profité | We all took full advantage |
| On a de la chance, | We are lucky |
| N’ayons pas de regrets | Don’t regret what was |
| Mais maintenant, il faut rentrer | But now, it is time to return |
| Oui mais voilà, | Yes, but here’s the thing |
| [Plus fort] | [Louder] |
| Je ne peux pas | I can’t (return) |
| Ma valise, lise, lise, lise | My suitcase, case, case, case* |
| Ne veut pas, pas rentrer de vacances, cances | Doesn’t want to go home from vacation, cation |
| Elle préfère, faire, faire, faire** | She (the suitcase) prefers to, to, to, to |
| Faire le pont jusqu’aux prochaines vacances, cances | Make a bridge to the next vacation |
| J’avais pourtant | But, I already |
| [A vous très fort] | [Now you, very loud] |
| Rangé dedans | Packed inside |
| Mes serviettes et mes chemises, | My towels and my shirts, |
| Mes baskets, ma jupe grise, | My sneakers, my gray skirt, |
| Mon magnéto, mes cassettes | My tape deck, my cassettes, |
| Mon sombrero, mes lunettes | My sombrero, my glasses |
| Mon savon, mon pantalon, | My soap, my pants, |
| Mon pyjama, mes jupons*** | My p.j.s, my petticoats |
| La belle laisse de mon chien, | The pretty leash for my dog, |
| La photo de Sébastien | The picture of Sebastien |
| Et mes chaussettes | And my socks |
| Rouges et jaunes à p’tits pois | The red and yellow polkadot ones |
| Et mes chaussettes | And my socks |
| Rouges et jaunes à p’tits pois [Encore] | Red and yellow with polkadots [Again] |
| [Bien] | [Very good] |
| Finies les vacances, | Vacation is over, |
| Il faut se préparer | We must get ready |
| Dans quelques jours, c’est la rentrée | In a few days, it will be time to head back |
| On a de la chance | We’re lucky |
| Car on va retrouver | Because we’re going to find |
| Les copains qui nous ont manqué | The friends who we have missed |
| Je ne comprends pas | I can’t understand |
| [A vous] | [Now you] |
| Vraiment pourquoi | Why ever |
| Ma valise, lise, lise, lise | My suitcase, case, case, case |
| Ne veut pas, pas rentrer de vacances, cances | Doesn’t want to go home from vacation, cation |
| Elle préfère, faire, faire, faire | She prefers, fers, fers, fers, |
| [Quoi donc ?] | [What ?] |
| Faire le pont jusqu’aux prochaines vacances, cances | Make the bridge until the next vacation, cation |
| J’avais pourtant | But I really did |
| [A vous] | [Now you] |
| Rangé dedans | Pack inside |
| Mes serviettes et mes chemises, | My towels and my shirts, |
| Mes baskets, ma jupe grise, | My sneakers, my gray skirt, |
| Mon magnéto, mes cassettes | My tape deck, my cassettes, |
| Mon sombrero, mes lunettes | My sombrero, my glasses |
| Mon savon, mon pantalon, | My soap, my pants, |
| Mon pyjama, mes jupons | My p.j.s, my petticoats |
| La belle laisse de mon chien, | The pretty leash for my dog, |
| La photo de Sébastien | The picture of Sebastien |
| Ma télé, mon transistor, | My t.v., my transistor radio, |
| Ma jolie gourmette**** en or, | My pretty gold bracelet, |
| Mon foulard, mon grand peignoir, | My scarf, my big bathrobe/house coat, |
| Une petite laine***** pour le soir | A little sweater for the evening |
| Et mes chaussettes | And my socks |
| Rouges et jaunes à p’tits pois | The red and yellow polka dot ones |
| [Tout le monde] | [Every body] |
| Et mes chaussettes | And my socks |
| Rouges et jaunes à p’tits pois | Red and yellow polka dot ones. |
* Watch out : ‘lise’ doesn’t mean ‘case’. It’s just song repetition!
** ‘faire’ is the verb ‘to make’ or ‘to do’, but here it just represents the final sound of ‘préfère’.
*** ‘jupons’ can mean ‘petticoat’ or ‘under-skirt’ but it can also mean ‘little skirts’.
**** ‘Une gourmette’ is a particular type of ‘bracelet’, specifically a ‘chain-link bracelet’.
***** ‘La laine’ is literally ‘wool’. ‘Une laine’ (with the indefinite article vs. the definite article) is a light wool sweater.
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About the Author: Tim Hildreth
Since my first trip to France at 16, I have been a passionate francophile. I love the language, food, music, art, people, and more that make France and la Francophonie in general such an amazing part of our global community. Having lived in France and studied the language and culture for over 35 years, it is my great pleasure to be able to share a little bit of my deep love with you through this blog.