This is one of the very first videos on YouTube I watched when I started to learn French. I started with Disney songs (which I already knew in English) and then I found this one. It's one of my all-time favourite songs. It's so beautiful, and even more beautiful en français à mon avis!
Les paroles (lyrics)
Très loin là-bas, sous la lune d’opale
Quelqu’un se sent triste et pense à moi ce soir
Très loin là-bas, quelqu’un parle aux étoiles
Dites lui que je l’aime,
Et que nos prières se croisent
Même si l’immensité qui nous sépare me fait mal,
Je sais que tu confit le même vœux à la même étoile
Quand le vent tristement chante sa plainte sur les toits
Je sais que tu vas t’endormir sous le même ciel que moi !
Très loin là-bas, si tu as fait un vœux
Nous serons ensemble,
Très loin là-bas, où le ciel est bleu !
Very far, over there, under the opal moon
someone feels sad and thinks of me tonight
Very far, over there, someone speaks to the stars
Tell him that I love him
and that our prayers (will) cross
Even if the vastness which separates us makes me feel bad,
I know that you confess the same wish to the same star
When the wind sadly sings its moans on the roofs
I know that you are going to sleep under the same sky as me!
Very far, over there, if you've made a wish
We'll be together
Very far, over there, where the sky is blue!
Le petit Nicolas is coming out in France on September 30. Germany gets it in January so it probably won't be released till next year for most other countries too... I believe the film is based on the popular and highly-acclaimed children's books by the same name. It's set in the 60's and is aimed at readers aged 8+ (which means c'est un peu difficile pour moi en ce moment!)
Trailer:
It reminds me a little of the film "Matilda" (based on the book by Roald Dahl). It looks sweet and funny!
I bought a copy of "Le Chat au Chapeau" / "The Cat in the Hat" / by Dr. Seuss written in both French and French. When I first got it I could hardly understand any of it.
But after putting it away and then getting it out again the other day, I couldn't believe that I could grasp the storyline better. The reason why I didn't understand it the first time (when I had only just started learning French) is because the book is mostly written in the past tense, using the passé composé . I learnt it in the Teach Yourself French Starter Kit.. basically
(Pronoun) have (verb) eg - J'ai mangé (I have eaten / I ate) Tu as mangé (You have eaten / You ate) Il/Elle a mangé (He/She has eaten / He/She ate) Nous avons mangé (We have eaten / We ate) Vous avez mangé (You have eaten / You ate) Ils/Elles ont mangé (They have eaten / They ate)
The verb is in the imperfect form, which mostly has the acute accent over the last e (é)
The book is aimed at children aged 4-8 :)
Here are a few passages from the book:
The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house All that cold, cold, wet day.
Le soleil ne brillait pas, Et c'était trop mouillé pour aller jouer. Alors nous sommes restés assis à la maison Pendant toute cette journée froide et humide.
My own literal translation:
The sun did not shine It was too wet to go (and) play So we stayed sitting in the house During that cold and humid day
--
Here's a tricky sentence:
Votre mère n'y verra rien à redire si je vous les montre
they translated it as:
Your mother will not mind at all if I do.
--
Regardez-moi! Regardez-moi! Regardez-moi maintenant! C'est amusant de s'amuser Mais il faut savoir comment faire. Je peux porter la tasse, Et le lait, et le gâteau! Je peux porter es livres! Et le poisson sur un râteau! Je peux porter le petit bateau Et un petit bonhomme! Et regardez! Avec ma queue Je peux tenir un éventail rouge! Je peux m'éventer avec l'éventail Tout en sautant á cloche-pied sur le ballon! Mais ce n'est pas tout. Oh, non. Ce n'est pas tout...
Look at me! Look at me! Look at me now1 It is fun to have fun But you have to know how. I can hold up the cup And the milk and the cake! I can hold up these books! And the fist on a rake! I can hold the toy ship And a little toy man! And look! With my tail I can hold a red fan! I can fan with the fan As I hope on the ball But that is not all. Oh, no. That is not all...
---
I counted approx 79 words that were new to me of the 230 or so words. A few nouns, but mostly verbs. A lot of them just seemed unfamiliar because they were not in the present tense form.
In a few weeks I hope to be able to read it all and understand it without needing a dictionary and also to be able to translate from one to the other!
Le bricoleur
Peut-on le faire ?
Le bricoleur
Oui on peut !
Et oui, c'est bien lui, c'est l'ami Bob
Avec toute sa bande, il est partout
Prèt à creuser ou à réparer
Il répond présent, il s'appelle Bob
Le bricoleur
Peut-on le faire ?
Le bricoleur
Oui on peut !
Ne traînons pas, le travail n'attend pas
Construire et réparer, tout doit être parfait
Bob et sa bande s'amusent si bien
Tout en travaillant en ville ou dans les champs
Peut-on le faire ? (OUI)
Peut-on le faire ? (OUI)
Le bricoleur
Peut-on le faire ?
Le bricoleur
Oui on peut !
The handyman
Can we do it?
The handyman
Yes we can!
And yes, it is well him, it is the friend Bob
With all his group (of friends), he is everywhere
Ready to dig or repair
He replies, 'Present', he calls himself Bob
The handyman
Can we do it?
The handyman
Yes we can!
Let us not lag behind, the work does not wait
To build and repair. all must be perfect
Bob and his group (of friends) amuse themselves so well
While working downtown or in the fields
Can we do it? (YES)
Can we do it? (YES)
The handyman
Can we do it?
The handyman
Yes we can!
Une, deux, trois, quatre
Cinq, six, sept, huit Les jolies locomotives
Rouge, et verte, marron et bleue
Toute l'équipe brille de mille feux
Chacune a son rôle à jouer
Toujours partantes pour nous aider
Avec Thomas et ses amis
La vie nous sourit
Thomas le plus culotté
James il nous fait rigoler
Percy s'occupe du courrier
Gordon est toujours pressé
Emily a réponse à tout
Henry siffle, tousse et s'étouffe
Edouard, prêt à nous aider
Toby lui, il est carré
Une, deux, trois, quatre
Cinq, six, sept, huit Les jolies locomotives
Rouge, et verte, marron et bleue
Toute l'équipe brille de mille feux
Chacune a son rôle à jouer
Toujours partantes pour nous aider
Avec Thomas et ses amis
La vie nous sourit
One, two, three, four
Five, six, seven, eight
The pretty engines
Red, and green, brown and blue
All the team shines like a thousand fires
Each one has its role to play
Always leaving to help us
With Thomas and his friends
Life smiles at us
Thomas is cheekier
James: he makes us laugh
Percy occupies himself with the mail
Gordon is always in a hurry
Emily has a reply to all
Henry whistles, coughs and chokes (himself)
Edouard, ready to help us
Toby, him, he is solid
One, two, three, four
Five, six, seven, eight
The pretty engines
Red, and green, brown and blue
All the team shines like a thousand fires
Each one has its role to play
Always leaving to help us
With Thomas and his friends
Life smiles at us
