Au clair de la lune is a popular French song whose characteristic melody and lyrics are so familiar that they have been the subject of countless quotations, adaptations, parodies and pastiches.
The story of the song
In the absence of reliable sources on its creation, the work is currently considered to be an eighteenth-century song whose author and composer are unknown.
The lyrics were first published in 1843 by Théophile Marion Dumersan in Chants et chansons populaires de la France. The text was included in 1846 in the song collection Chansons nationales et populaires de France.
Harrogate Perriots
The oldest recording of a human voice
This song was first recorded in 1860 by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, inventor of sound recording. It is the oldest known recording of a human voice.
Who is Pierrot?
There are several versions of the song. The most common one refers to characters from the commedia dell'arte, notably Pierrot and Harlequin.
Pierrot is a character with a white hat and a face powdered with flour. This role reappeared in Paris in 1673, played by Giuseppe Giratone. But it was Jean-Gaspard Deburau and his son Charles who popularised it at the Théâtre des Funambules in the 1820s.
Pierrot and Harlequin by Cézanne 1888
Au clair de la lune
Lyrics, music, free download... let's learn more about the popular song:
The lyrics in French
The original song of Au clair de la lune has 3 verses.
Couplet 1
Au clair de la Lune
Mon ami Pierrot
Prête-moi ta plume
Pour écrire un mot
Ma chandelle est morte
Je n'ai plus de feu
Ouvre-moi ta porte
Pour l'amour de Dieu
Couplet 2
Au clair de la Lune
Pierrot répondit
Je n'ai pas de plume
Je suis dans mon lit
Va chez la voisine
Je crois qu'elle y est
Car dans sa cuisine
On bat le briquet
Couplet 3
Au clair de la Lune
On n'y voit qu'un peu
On cherche la plume
On cherche le feu
En cherchant d'la sorte
Je n'sais c'qu'on trouvera
Mais je sais qu'la porte
Sur eux se ferma
Translation of the lyrics into English
Here is an approximative translation into English:
Verse 1
In the light of the moon
My friend Pierrot
Lend me your pen
To write a word
My candle is dead
I have no more fire
Open your door for me
For God's sake
Verse 2
In the light of the moon
Pierrot answered
I have no feather
I'm in my bed
Go to the neighbour's house
I think she's there
For in her kitchen
We beat the lighter
Verse 3
In the moonlight
You can only see a little bit
We're looking for the feather
We're looking for the fire
I'm not sure what I'm looking for
I don't know what we'll find
But I know that the door
I'm not sure what to do about it
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