A la claire Fontaine
Salvador Henri Lyrics
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A la claire fontaine, 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
Sous les feuilles d’un chêne, je me suis fait sécher
Sur la plus haute branche, un rossignol chantait
Il y a longtemps que je t’aime, jamais je ne t’oublierai
Chante rossignol chante, toi qui a le cœur gai
Tu as le cœur à rire, moi je l’ai à pleurer
Il y a longtemps que je t’aime, jamais je ne t’oublierai
J’ai perdu mon amie, sans l’avoir mérité
Pour un bouquet de roses que je lui refusai
Il y a longtemps que je t’aime, jamais je ne t’oublierai
Je voudrais que le rose fut encore à planter
Et que ma douce amie fut encore à m’aimer
Il y a longtemps que je t’aime, jamais je ne t’oublierai
The French song " A La Claire Fontaine" tells a story of a woman who bathes in the river naked, but gets caught by a sudden gust of wind and loses her clothes. She asks the singer, who is watching her, to bring her something to wear. He then gathers various natural items like leaves of vines, lilies, and oranges to make her a dress. The girl is so small that he only needs one leaf and one rose to cover her. The singer clothes her and then embraces her passionately, which causes her to lose her clothes again. The song ends with the suggestion that the girl continues to bathe naked in the river and pray for the wind to blow.
The narrative of this French ballad reveals how societal customs and gender roles restricted young women, and the consequences of defying them. Women were expected to dress modestly at all times, and nudity was considered shameful. When the singer helps her cover her body, he enforces the societal understanding of 'womanhood' and tries to control her nudity. Yet, the girl returns again and again to bathe naked, which reveals her rebellious nature beyond the societal expectations of modesty. The ballad's lyrics can also be interpreted as a commentary on the natural world's freedom, where a woman's nudity is as normal as the rustling of the trees or the blowing of the wind.
Line by Line Meaning
Dans l'eau de la claire fontaine
In the crystal-clear waters of a fountain
Elle se baignait toute nue
She was bathing completely nude
Une saute de vent soudaine
A sudden gust of wind
Jeta ses habits dans les nues
Lifted her clothes up into the air
En détresse, elle me fit signe
In distress, she signaled me
Pour la vêtir, d'aller chercher
To find something to clothe her
Des monceaux de feuilles de vigne
Piles of grapevine leaves
Fleurs de lis ou fleurs d'oranger
Lilies or orange blossoms
Avec des pétales de roses
Using rose petals
Un bout de corsage lui fit
A piece of a bodice was made for her
La belle n'était pas bien grosse
The beauty was not very big
Une seule rose a suffi
One single rose was enough
Avec le pampre de la vigne
Using grapevine tendrils
Un bout de cotillon lui fit
A piece of a skirt was made for her
Mais la belle était si petite
But the beauty was so small
Qu'une seule feuille a suffi
That only a single leaf was enough
Elle me tendit ses bras, ses lèvres
She reached out her arms and lips to me
Comme pour me remercier
As if to thank me
Je les pris avec tant de fièvre
I took them with such passion
Qu'elle fut toute déshabillée
That she was completely undressed
Le jeu dut plaire à l'ingénue
The game must have pleased the innocent girl
Car, à la fontaine souvent
For at the fountain often
Elle s'alla baigner toute nue
She went to bathe herself completely naked
En priant Dieu qu'il fit du vent
Praying to God that the wind blows
Qu'il fit du vent
That it blows, indeed.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, PREMIERE MUSIC GROUP
Written by: Henri SALVADOR, MARCEL STELLMAN, (NO ARTIST SPECIFIED)
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind