Little Magic

Lullaby guide · Berceuses

French lullabies for babies, with English translations

These are the berceuses French parents have sung for generations - short, gentle and easy to learn even if you don't speak French. Each one has the full French lyrics, a line-by-line English translation, and a little of its history. Every song here is traditional and in the public domain, so you can sing it, print it and share it freely.

1.

Fais dodo, Colas mon p'tit frère

Go to sleep, Colas, my little brother

Public domainTraditional, 19th century or earlier

French lyrics

Fais dodo, Colas mon p'tit frère,Fais dodo, t'auras du lolo.Maman est en hautQui fait du gâteau,Papa est en basQui fait du chocolat.Fais dodo, Colas mon p'tit frère,Fais dodo, t'auras du lolo.

English translation

Go to sleep, Colas, my little brother,Go to sleep, and you'll have some milk.Mama is upstairsBaking a cake,Papa is downstairsMaking hot chocolate.Go to sleep, Colas, my little brother,Go to sleep, and you'll have some milk.

The story

Colas is an old nickname for Nicolas, and lolo is baby talk for milk. An older child rocks the little brother while the grown-ups bake a cake and make hot chocolate - a promise of treats for whoever falls asleep.

Good for

A big brother or sister singing the baby to sleep.

2.

Dodo, l'enfant do

Sleep, little child, sleep

Public domainTraditional, centuries old

French lyrics

Dodo, l'enfant do,L'enfant dormira bien vite.Dodo, l'enfant do,L'enfant dormira bientôt.Une poule blancheEst là dans la grange,Qui va faire un petit cocoPour l'enfant qui va faire dodo.Dodo, l'enfant do,L'enfant dormira bientôt.

English translation

Sleep, little child, sleep,The child will be asleep very quickly.Sleep, little child, sleep,The child will be asleep soon.A white henIs over there in the barn,She's going to lay a little eggFor the child who's going to sleep.Sleep, little child, sleep,The child will be asleep soon.

The story

Dodo comes from dormir, to sleep, and it is still the word French parents use for bedtime. The verse about the white hen turns up in other lullabies too - old songs borrowed lines from each other freely.

Good for

Rocking in your arms - the rhythm follows the sway.

3.

Au clair de la lune

By the light of the moon

Public domainTraditional, 18th century

French lyrics

Au clair de la lune,Mon ami Pierrot,Prête-moi ta plumePour écrire un mot.Ma chandelle est morte,Je n'ai plus de feu.Ouvre-moi ta portePour l'amour de Dieu.

English translation

By the light of the moon,My friend Pierrot,Lend me your penSo I can write a word.My candle has gone out,I have no more fire.Open your door to me,For the love of God.

The story

Pierrot, the moonlit clown of old French theatre, is asked to lend his pen. In 1860 the inventor Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville recorded a few lines of it on his phonautograph; played back in 2008, it is one of the oldest known recordings of a human voice.

Good for

A slow, simple first song to learn in French.

4.

Frère Jacques

Brother Jacques

Public domainTraditional, 18th century

French lyrics

Frère Jacques, frère Jacques,Dormez-vous ? Dormez-vous ?Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines,Ding, daing, dong. Ding, daing, dong.

English translation

Brother Jacques, Brother Jacques,Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?Ring the morning bells, ring the morning bells,Ding, dang, dong. Ding, dang, dong.

The story

A round about a sleepy friar who has missed the bell for matins, the prayers before dawn. It was first printed in Paris around 1780, and Gustav Mahler turned it into a slow minor-key march in his First Symphony.

Good for

Singing as a round with a partner or older children.

5.

Une souris verte

A green mouse

Public domainTraditional, origin uncertain

French lyrics

Une souris verteQui courait dans l'herbe,Je l'attrape par la queue,Je la montre à ces messieurs.Ces messieurs me disent :Trempez-la dans l'huile,Trempez-la dans l'eau,Ça fera un escargot tout chaud.

English translation

A green mouseRunning through the grass,I catch it by the tail,I show it to these gentlemen.These gentlemen tell me:Dip it in oil,Dip it in water,And you'll have a nice warm snail.

The story

A nonsense rhyme in which a green mouse, dipped in oil and then in water, turns into a warm snail. Nobody agrees where it comes from, and children have never needed to know - they wait for the snail at the end.

Good for

A sleepy wind-down game, with a tickle at the last line.

6.

Il était une petite poule grise

There was a little grey hen

Public domainTraditional

French lyrics

Il était une petite poule griseQui allait pondre dans l'église,Pondait un petit cocoQue l'enfant mangeait tout chaud.Il était une petite poule noireQui allait pondre dans l'armoire,Pondait un petit cocoQue l'enfant mangeait tout chaud.

English translation

There was a little grey henWho went to lay in the church,She laid a little eggThat the child ate up warm.There was a little black henWho went to lay in the cupboard,She laid a little eggThat the child ate up warm.

The story

A lullaby that can go on as long as the baby needs: a hen of each colour lays an egg somewhere in the village - the church, the cupboard - and the egg is always for the child. Families add their own hens and hiding places.

Good for

Long nights - add a verse until the eyes close.

7.

À la claire fontaine

By the clear fountain

Public domainTraditional, 17th–18th century

French lyrics

À la claire fontaine,M'en allant promener,J'ai trouvé l'eau si belleQue je m'y suis baigné.Il y a longtemps que je t'aime,Jamais je ne t'oublierai.

English translation

By the clear fountain,As I went out walking,I found the water so lovelyThat I bathed in it.I have loved you for so long,I will never forget you.

The story

A love song that French settlers carried to North America, where it became one of the best-loved songs in Québec. Its slow, rocking tune has made it a lullaby on both sides of the Atlantic.

Good for

Parents who want a tender song to sing, not just a rhyme.

8.

Ah ! vous dirai-je, maman

Oh, shall I tell you, Mama

Public domainTune published in 1761; words traditional

French lyrics

Ah ! vous dirai-je, maman,Ce qui cause mon tourment ?Papa veut que je raisonneComme une grande personne.Moi, je dis que les bonbonsValent mieux que la raison.

English translation

Oh, shall I tell you, Mama,What is troubling me so?Papa wants me to reasonLike a grown-up.But I say that sweetsAre worth more than reason.

The story

The same tune as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and the alphabet song, and Mozart wrote twelve piano variations on it. In French, a child confides that sweets are worth more than being sensible.

Good for

Families who already know the tune in another language.

9.

Meunier, tu dors

Miller, you're asleep

Public domainTraditional

French lyrics

Meunier, tu dors,Ton moulin, ton moulin va trop vite.Meunier, tu dors,Ton moulin, ton moulin va trop fort.Ton moulin, ton moulin va trop vite,Ton moulin, ton moulin va trop fort.

English translation

Miller, you're asleep,Your mill, your mill is turning too fast.Miller, you're asleep,Your mill, your mill is turning too hard.Your mill, your mill is turning too fast,Your mill, your mill is turning too hard.

The story

A miller dozes while his mill runs wild. Sung fast, it is a clapping game; sung slowly, rolling your hands like the mill wheel, it becomes a gentle way to wind down before bed.

Good for

The last song of the day, slower each time.

Lyrics: traditional, public domain. Versions vary from family to family; these are the most common ones. Translations by Little Magic.

Lullaby guide · Berceuses

How to sing them

Lullaby guide · Berceuses

French lullaby questions

What is the most famous French lullaby?

"Dodo, l'enfant do" and "Fais dodo, Colas mon p'tit frère" are the two most French parents grew up with. "Frère Jacques" and "Au clair de la lune" are better known abroad, and are sung at bedtime too.

What does "dodo" mean?

It is baby talk for sleep, from the verb dormir. "Faire dodo" means to go to sleep, and French parents still say it every night.

Can I print and share these lyrics?

Yes. The French words and tunes are traditional or very old and in the public domain. The translations on this page are our own; you are welcome to share them with a link back.

Can I get a French lullaby with my baby's name?

Yes. Little Magic writes new lullabies in French around your baby's name and your family's story, finished by a human producer and delivered as a digital gift.

A French berceuse with your baby's name

The old songs are for every child. We can write one that is only for yours - in French, built around your baby's name and the little details of your family, and delivered as a digital gift.

Create a French lullaby

Listen to our French album: Samedi chez Grand-mère