Les Anges dans nos Campagnes

Les anges dans nos campagnes

*Les Anges dans Nos Campagnes* Noël -Vox Angeli

My erudite French correspondent, GH, has featured frequently on this blog. He said recently that Christmas would not be Christmas in France without ''Les Anges dans Nos Campagnes.'' To hear a truly beautiful rendition of this French carol, please click on:

*Les Anges dans Nos Campagnes* Noël -Vox Angeli


The French words of the three verses sung are set out below, followed by my free translation into English (preserving, more or less, the rhyming scheme).






Les anges dans nos campagnes
Ont entonné l'hymne des cieux,
Et l'écho de nos montagnes
Redit ce chant mélodieux :
Gloria in Excel sis Deo (Bis)

Bergers, pour qui cette fête ?
Quel est l'objet de tous ces chants ?
Quel vainqueur, quelle conquête
Mérite ces cris triomphants :
Gloria...

Cherchons tous l'heureux village
Qui l'a vu naître sous ses toits
Offrons-lui le tendre hommage
Et de nos cœurs et de nos voix :
Gloria ...

[The verses are then sung again]

Translation

Above our fields the angels sing
In glorious, celestial airs;
The echoes in the mountains ring
With harmonies full meet and fair.

Shepherds, whence these celebrations?
What the cause of all this joy?
Who is this hero of all nations,
Born on earth a baby boy?

O village blessed, beneath whose eaves
Mankind now happily rejoices,
Where homage sweetly interweaves
With wonder from adoring voices.
PB 2019

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam