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Bilingual Bedtime/French songs
Chanson à raconterStory song

Il pleut, il pleut, bergère.

The melody of Il pleut, il pleut, bergère on a staff, as engraved in the book
Download the tune

The melody as written on the staff, so you can learn the tune before you sing.

Verse 1

  1. Il pleut, il pleut, bergère,eel pluh, eel pluh, bair-zheh-ruh,It's raining, it's raining, shepherdess,
  2. Presse tes blancs moutons ;press-uh tay blahn moo-tohn ;Hurry your white sheep along;
  3. Allons sous ma chaumière,ah-lohn soo mah shoh-myeh-ruh,Let's go into my thatched cottage,
  4. Bergère, vite, allons :bair-zheh-ruh, veet, ah-lohn :Shepherdess, quickly, let's go:
  5. J'entends sur le feuillage,zhahn-tahn sewr luh fuhy-lah-zhuh,I hear on the leaves,
  6. L'eau qui tombe à grand bruit ;loh kee tohnb ah grahn brwee ;The rain falling with a loud noise;
  7. Voici, voici l'orage ;vwah-see, vwah-see, loh-rah-zhuh ;Here is, here is the storm;
  8. Voilà l'éclair qui luit.vwah-lah lay-klehr kee lwee.There is the lightning that flashes.

Verse 2

  1. Entends-tu le tonnerre ?ahn-tahn-tew luh toh-nehr ?Do you hear the thunder?
  2. Il roule en approchant ;eel rool ahn-nah-proh-shahn ;It rumbles as it approaches;
  3. Prends un abri, bergère,prahn uhn-nah-bree, bair-zheh-ruh,Take shelter, shepherdess,
  4. À ma droite, en marchant :ah mah drwaht, ahn mahr-shahn :To my right, as we walk:
  5. Je vois notre cabane...zhuh vwah noh-truh kah-bahn...I see our cabin...
  6. Et, tiens, voici veniray, tyehn, vwah-see vuh-neerAnd look, here come
  7. Ma mère et ma sœur Anne,mah mehr ay mah suhr ahn,My mother and my sister Anne,
  8. Qui vont l'étable ouvrir.kee vohn lay-tah-bluh oo-vreer.Who are going to open the stable.

Verse 3

  1. Bon soir, bon soir, ma mère ;bohn swahr, bohn swahr, mah mehr ;Good evening, good evening, mother;
  2. Ma sœur Anne, bon soir ;mah suhr ahn, bohn swahr ;My sister Anne, good evening;
  3. J'amène ma bergère,zhah-mehn mah bair-zheh-ruh,I bring my shepherdess,
  4. Près de vous pour ce soir.preh duh voo poor suh swahr.To stay with you tonight.
  5. Va te sécher, ma mie,vah tuh say-shay, mah mee,Go dry yourself, my dear,
  6. Auprès de nos tisons ;oh-preh duh noh tee-zohn ;By our embers;
  7. Sœur, fais-lui compagnie.suhr, feh-lwee kohn-pah-nyee.Sister, keep her company.
  8. Entrez, petits moutons.ahn-tray, puh-tee moo-tohn.Come in, little sheep.

Verse 4

  1. Soignons bien, ô ma mère !swah-nyohn byehn, oh mah mehr !Let's take good care, oh mother!
  2. Son tant joli troupeau ;sohn tahn zhoh-lee troo-poh ;Her flock is so pretty;
  3. Donnez plus de litièredoh-nay plew duh lee-tyeh-ruhGive more bedding
  4. À son petit agneau.ah sohn puh-tee tah-nyoh.To its little lamb.
  5. C'est fait : allons près d'elle.seh feh : ah-lohn preh dehl.It's done: let's go near her.
  6. Eh bien ! donc, te voilà ?eh byehn ! dohnk, tuh vwah-lah ?Well then, here you are?
  7. En corset, qu'elle est belle !ahn kohr-seh, kehl eh behl !In her bodice, how pretty she is!
  8. Ma mère, voyez-la.mah mehr, vwah-yay-lah.Mother, look at her.

Verse 5

  1. Soupons : prends cette chaise ;soo-pohn : prahn seht shehz ;Let's have supper: take this chair;
  2. Tu seras près de moi ;tew suh-rah preh duh mwah ;You will be near me;
  3. Ce flambeau de mélèzesuh flahn-boh duh may-leh-zuhThis larch-wood torch
  4. Brûlera devant toi :brew-luh-rah duh-vahn twah :Will burn in front of you:
  5. Goûte de ce laitage ;goot duh suh leh-tah-zhuh ;Taste some of this dairy food;
  6. Mais tu ne manges pas ?meh tew nuh mahnzh pah ?But you are not eating?
  7. Tu te sens de l'orage ;tew tuh sahn duh loh-rah-zhuh ;You feel the storm;
  8. Il a lassé tes pas.eel ah lah-say tay pah.It has tired your steps.

Verse 6

  1. Eh bien ! voilà ta couche,eh byehn ! vwah-lah tah koosh,Well then! here is your bed,
  2. Dors-y jusques au jour ;dohr-zee zhews-koh zhoor ;Sleep there until daybreak;
  3. Laisse-moi sur ta bouchelehs-mwah sewr tah booshLet me on your lips
  4. Prendre un baiser d'amour.prahn-druhn beh-zay dah-moor.Take a kiss of love.
  5. Ne rougis pas, bergère,nuh roo-zhee pah, bair-zheh-ruh,Do not blush, shepherdess,
  6. Ma mère, et moi, demain,mah mehr, ay mwah, duh-mehn,My mother and I, tomorrow,
  7. Nous irons chez ton pèrenoo zee-rohn shay tohn pehrWill go to your father's house
  8. Lui demander ta main.lwee duh-mahn-day tah mehn.To ask for your hand.

About this song

Written in 1780 by Fabre d'Églantine for a light opera, this pastoral romance became one of France's best-loved songs. A young shepherd calls his sweetheart in from a coming storm to shelter in his cottage. Cup a hand to your ear at entends, patter your fingertips for the rain, then flick them open for l'éclair.

Where it comes from

The words: Fabre d'Églantine, Œuvres mêlées et posthumes, tome II (Veuve Fabre d'Églantine et Moutardier, Paris, 1802).

The tune: LilyPond score block in the French Wikipedia article "Il pleut, il pleut, bergère" (F major, 6/8; the English and German articles carry the identical transcription; Weckerlin 1870 does not contain the song)

From the book

Bilingual Bedtime

Thirty-Five French Songs for Children

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