December 11, 2010

Blog Carol 2010


Les Anges dans nos campagnes is a traditional French Christmas carol which was long ago translated into English as Angels We Have Heard On High. When I was a child we always sang it in French at home, at church and in school.  I grew up in a Franco-American family and we attended St-Anne Parish, a parish in which my great grandparents and grandparents were among the founding members.  We had our own parish elementary school and high school.  In elementary school, we were fortunate to be taught in French half day and in English the other half.  So you can understand why we sang French carols at our school. 

Les Anges dans nos campagnes/Angels we have heard on high was a favorite carol.  As a child, I loved singing the Glorias...

Les Anges dans nos campagnes

Les anges dans nos campagnes
Ont entonné l'hymne des cieux
Et l'écho de nos montagnes
Redit ce chant mélodieux<

Gloria in excelsis Déo! (bis)
Bergers, pour qui cette fête ?
Quel est l'objet de tous ces chants ?
Quel vainqueur, quelle conquête
Mérite ces cris triomphants :
Gloria...

Ils annoncent la naissance
Du libérateur d'Israël
Et pleins de reconnaissance
Chantent en ce jour solennel :
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 ...

Bergers, quittez vos retraites,
Unissez-vous à  leurs concerts,
Et que vos tendres musettes
Fassent retenir les airs :
Gloria ...  

Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?

Refrain

Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

Refrain

See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise.
Refrain

Now sing along with the rest of us bloggers and sing your way through the rest of the Christmas season with the carols you loved best.

All Rights Reserved
Lucie's Legacy
Lucie LeBlanc Consentino

6 comments:

Éire Historian said...

Thank you for posting this hymn. It was always my favourite when I was a child, and still is today. Cheers! Jennifer

Lucie LeBlanc Consentino said...

Thank you Jennifer!

So many beautiful carols were composed years ago and they remain among the best.

Lucie

Janet Iles said...

I like this carol also. It is interesting to compare the English and French versions and see the differences in the story they tell.

Lucie LeBlanc Consentino said...

Hi Janet.. thank you for your post. It is a wonderful carol!

Lucie

Bill West said...

Beautiful, Lucie. I found myself trying to sound the words out to the
tune of the music. I wish I spoke
French.

Thanks for sharing this!

Lucie LeBlanc Consentino said...

Thank you Bill! I'll have to give you some French lessons ;)

Lucie