{"id":25592,"date":"2016-12-19T14:00:33","date_gmt":"2016-12-19T13:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=25592"},"modified":"2018-02-20T16:13:17","modified_gmt":"2018-02-20T15:13:17","slug":"cest-noel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/cest-noel\/","title":{"rendered":"C’est No\u00ebl!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well, not quite.\u00a0Ce n’est pas encore No\u00ebl.\u00a0<\/em>But it will be soon enough. And it’s the perfect time to enjoy some Christmas music …\u00a0en fran\u00e7ais<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Last week<\/a>, John shared with you\u00a0le chanson “Au Royaume du Bonhomme Hiver”\u00a0<\/em>(Walking in a Winter Wonderland).<\/p>\n

There’s another holiday classic is often played on French airwaves during this season:\u00a0“C’est No\u00ebl”\u00a0<\/em>(It’s Christmas). This is a French original and doesn’t have an equivalent in English. Written in 1956 by famous composer Henri Betti for the film Honor\u00e9 de Marseille<\/em>,\u00a0\u00a0it was performed by the actor and singer Fernandel. Supposedly, Betti wrote the song for the first Christmas he celebrated with his daughter. The song switches between a modern Christmas celebration and a retelling of the nativity.<\/p>\n

Here are the lyrics:<\/p>\n


\nUn beau soir d’hiver pr\u00e8s d’un grand sapin, <\/em>
\nNaquit dans une humble \u00e9table, <\/em>
\nL’enfant J\u00e9sus cet enfant divin, <\/em>
\nEt depuis pour les bambins.<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

C’est No\u00ebl, sous un ciel de lumi\u00e8re. <\/em>
\nLes enfants, sagement \u00e0 genou, <\/em>
\nCe soir l\u00e0, font tout bas leur pri\u00e8re. <\/em>
\nDoux J\u00e9sus, entends tu? R\u00e9ponds nous!<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n


\nEt J\u00e9sus descendu sur la terre <\/em>
\nPlein d’amour en ce jour solennel <\/em>
\nFait surgir de partout <\/em>
\nA plaisir des joujoux <\/em>
\nCe myst\u00e8re c’est No\u00ebl<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Cette belle nuit que le monde attend <\/em>
\nNous rappelle notre enfance <\/em>
\nPar des souvenirs de No\u00ebl d’antan <\/em>
\nEt depuis cet heureux temps <\/em>
\nC’est No\u00ebl sous un ciel d’esp\u00e9rance <\/em>
\nLes bergers messagers du seigneur <\/em>
\nVont chantant c\u00e9l\u00e9brant la naissance <\/em>
\nDe celui qui conduit au bonheur<\/em><\/p>\n

Vocabulary:<\/p>\n

les bambins–toddlers\/little kids<\/em><\/p>\n

les bergers<\/em>–the shepherds<\/p>\n

conduire (conduit)<\/em>–to drive\/to lead<\/p>\n

d’esp\u00e9rance<\/em>–of hope<\/p>\n

notre enfance<\/em>–our childhood<\/p>\n

une humble \u00e9table–a humble stable<\/em><\/p>\n

des joujoux<\/em>–toys (informal)<\/p>\n

ce jour solennel<\/em>–this solemn day<\/p>\n

la naissance<\/em>–the birth<\/p>\n

sagement<\/em>–wisely<\/p>\n

sapin<\/em>–fir tree (referring to a Christmas tree)<\/p>\n

You can\u00a0listen to this classic\u00a0chanson de No\u00ebl\u00a0<\/em>here:<\/p>\n

Joyeux No\u00ebl \u00e0 tous\u00a0ceux qui le f\u00eatent!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well, not quite.\u00a0Ce n’est pas encore No\u00ebl.\u00a0But it will be soon enough. And it’s the perfect time to enjoy some Christmas music …\u00a0en fran\u00e7ais. Last week, John shared with you\u00a0le chanson “Au Royaume du Bonhomme Hiver”\u00a0(Walking in a Winter Wonderland). There’s another holiday classic is often played on French airwaves during this season:\u00a0“C’est No\u00ebl”\u00a0(It’s Christmas)…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":123,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,108,13],"tags":[276040,43,408503,12977,2535],"class_list":["post-25592","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-culture","category-music","category-vocabulary","tag-chansons-francaises","tag-christmas","tag-free-french-lesson","tag-noel","tag-songs"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t