A la claire Fontaine
Les Petits Minous Lyrics
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M´en allant promener
J´ai trouvé l´eau si belle
Que je m´y suis baigné
Il y a longtemps que je t´aime
Jamais je ne t´oublierai
Je me suis fait sécher
Sur la plus haute branche,
Un rossignol chantait
Chante rossignol, chante,
Toi qui as le cœur gai
Tu as le cœur à rire,
Moi je l´ai à pleurer
J´ai perdu mon amie,
Sans l´avoir mérité
Pour un bouquet de roses,
Que je lui refusais
Je voudrais que la rose,
Fût encore au rosier
Et que ma douce amie
Fût encore à m'aimer
The song "A la claire fontaine" by Les Petits Minous is a nostalgic ballad evoking the beauty of nature and the pain of lost love. The song's narrator is taking a walk when he is drawn to the clear, inviting water of a natural fountain. He decides to take a dip and enjoy the peacefulness of his surroundings. The imagery is vivid and uplifting, conjuring up the idyllic beauty of the French countryside.
However, the joyful tone is soon undercut by the singer's admission of heartbreak. He tells us that he has loved someone for a long time and will never forget her. He then recounts the memory of sitting under a oak tree while a nightingale sang nearby. The bird's cheerful song contrasts with the singer's sadness, and he remarks that while the bird can sing with joy, he can only cry.
The song then reveals the cause of the singer's heartbreak. He lost his love over a disagreement about a bouquet of roses that he had refused to give her. He laments his lost love and wishes that everything could go back to the way it was before. The song thus conveys a sense of melancholy and nostalgia for the past that is universal and timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
A la claire fontaine,
As I was walking along a crystal clear stream
M´en allant promener
Taking a stroll, enjoying a leisurely walk
J´ai trouvé l´eau si belle
I found the water to be so beautiful
Que je m´y suis baigné
That I couldn't resist taking a refreshing dip
Il y a longtemps que je t´aime
I have loved you for a long time
Jamais je ne t´oublierai
And I will never forget you
Sous les feuilles d´un chêne,
Under the leaves of an oak tree
Je me suis fait sécher
I dried myself off
Sur la plus haute branche,
On the highest branch
Un rossignol chantait
A nightingale was singing
Chante rossignol, chante,
Sing, nightingale, sing
Toi qui as le cœur gai
You who have a happy heart
Tu as le cœur à rire,
You have a heart for laughter
Moi je l´ai à pleurer
While I have a heart for weeping
J´ai perdu mon amie,
I lost my love
Sans l´avoir mérité
Without deserving it
Pour un bouquet de roses,
Over a bouquet of roses
Que je lui refusais
That I refused to give her
Je voudrais que la rose,
I wish the rose
Fût encore au rosier
Would still be on the bush
Et que ma douce amie
And that my sweet love
Fût encore à m'aimer
Would still be loving me
Contributed by Reagan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.