French Culture - Explore | French Language Blog

French Culture – Explore Posted by Tim Hildreth on Apr 7, 2020 in Culture, Language, Vocabulary

Malheureusement (Sadly) the world is still at home. If you are one of the many people still looking at the world from inside the safety of your own home, I hope this week’s blog will being you a little divertissement (diversion) and un peu d’espoir (a little hope).

On reste à la maison …

If you are staying at home (as you should, if your home country is currently experiencing Covid-19) you probably, like me, need a way to pass the time. While last week was all about Paris, this week we go a little further afield.

Le roi soleil

Louis XIV, the sun king, famously said L’Etat c’est moi (I am the state) … he also turned his father’s hunting lodge into one of the world’s most amazing and well known chateaux (palaces).

If you would like to experience un peu (a little bit) of the decadence that was la cour du roi soleil (the court of the sun king) you can enjoy this documentary on YouTube … or you might want to look for the French/Canadian co-production Versailles ¹(disponible sur Netflix / available on Netflix).

Québec

If you’re looking for something French outside of France, but you still want your history historic, this wonderful little video will transport you to the beautiful city of Québec for a few moments of divertissement.

Une autre chanson d’espoir

Puisqu’ils sont tous, comme nous, à la maison (Since, like us, they are at home) many artists are using their time to create new music, videos, and songs to inspire and unite people. One of my favorites is this beautiful song of hope from Calogero.

C’est un drôle de silence qui vient de la rue,	There is an odd silence coming from the street,
Comme un dimanche imprévu.	Like an unexpected Sunday
Un homme chante là-bas, sur un balcon,	A man sings our there, on a balcony,
Sa voisine l’accompagne au violon.	His neighbor plays along on the violin.
On a dit aux enfants des mots qui rassurent,	We shared reassuring words with the kids,
C’était comme une aventure.	It was like an adventure.
On a collé leur dessin sur le frigo,	We hung their drawings on the fridge,
On a éteint les chaines d’infos.	We turned off the news programs.
On fait comme si, tout n’était qu’un jeu.	We act as if, it was all just a game.
On fait comme si, on fait comme on peut.	We act as if, we do what we can.
Quand vient la nuit, en fermant les yeux.	When night comes, and we close our eyes.
On fait comme si ce monde, était encore heureux.	We act as if this world, was still happy.
On fait comme si, on n’était pas là.	We act as if, we weren’t here.
Parents, amis, on se reverra.	Family, friends, we’ll see each other again.
Et même si, ce printemps s’en va,	And even if this spring disappears
Juré, promis, le monde recommencera.	Sworn, promised, the world will restart.
Malgré les peurs, il y a des rires qui s’accrochent.	Despite the fears, there are laughs that endure.
Être si loin nous rapproche.	Being so far brings us near.
Même pour parler de rien, du bleu du ciel,	Even to talk about nothing, the blue of the sky,
Surtout donne-moi des nouvelles.	Be sure to share some news with me.
On fait comme si, tout n’était qu’un jeu.	We act as if, it was all just a game.
On fait comme si, on fait comme on peut.	We act as if, we do what we can.
Quand vient la nuit, en fermant les yeux.	When night comes, and we close our eyes.
On fait comme si ce monde, était encore heureux.	We act as if this world, was still happy.
On fait comme si, on n’était pas là.	We act as if, we weren’t here.
Parents, amis, on se reverra.	Family, friends, we’ll see each other again.
Et même si, ce printemps s’en va,	And even if this spring disappears
Juré, promis, le monde recommencera.	Sworn, promised, the world will restart.
C’est un drôle de silence qui vient de la rue,	It’s an odd silence that come from the street,
Juste un dimanche de plus,	Just one more Sunday
Sûre que nos vies d’après seront plus belles,	Surely our lives to come will be more beautiful,
Surtout donne-moi des nouvelles.	Be sure to share some news with me.

Photo by Valentin Antonucci from Pexels

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Note: The episode listing on this Wikipedia page provides lots of great vocabulary … compare the French episode names with their English translations, especially in Season 3.

Tags: France, french history, French language, French music, French vocabulary, musique francaise, vocabulaire francais

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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.

Comments:

Marine:

Bonjour, j’aime creative l’article. Je suis une Américaine et avec ma francais classe. J’aime le film sur Netflix, je regarder avec mes amis. Ma famille cuisiner tu les loisirs et travailler. Merci beaucoup parce que tu aidez moi avec la Francais classe.
- Tim Hildreth:
  
  @Marine Merci, Marine! Et bon continuation avec tes études!

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