Last Updated: 4 March 2023

Fleur d'épine is a traditional French song.

The story of the song

There is little information about the origin of the song.

It tells the story of a 15 year-old girl who denies dating a "big fat bourgeois"... and yet the evidence points to a girl with questionable morals.

Fleur d'épine

Lyrics, music, free download... let's learn more about the popular song:

The lyrics in French

The original song of Fleur d'épine has 5 verses.

Couplet 1

Ma mère qui m'a nourrie n'a jamais connu mon nom
Ma mère qui m'a nourrie n'a jamais connu mon nom
On m’appelle, on m’appelle, on m'appelle
Fleur d’épine, fleur de rose : c'est mon nom
Tra la la la...


Couplet 2

Fleur d’épine, fleur de rose, c'est un nom qui coûte cher
Fleur d’épine, fleur de rose, c'est un nom qui coûte cher
Car il coûte car il coûte car il coûte
La moitié de la valeur de cent écus
Tra la la la…


Couplet 3

Qu'est-ce donc cent écus quand on a l'honneur perdu
Qu'est-ce donc cent écus quand on a l'honneur perdu
Car l'honneur oui, car l'honneur oui, car l'honneur est

Privilège des fillettes de quinze ans
Tra la la la...


Couplet 4

Ne fais donc pas tant la fière l'on t'a vue l'autre soir
Ne fais donc pas tant la fière l'on t'a vue l'autre soir
L'on t'a vue oui, l’on t'a vue oui, l’on t'a vue
L'autre soir, un gros bourgeois auprès de toi
Tra la la la...


Couplet 5

Ce n'était pas un bourgeois qui était auprès de moi
Ce n'était pas un bourgeois qui était auprès de moi
C'était l’ombre, c’était l’ombre, c’était l’ombre
De la lune qui rôdait dans la grand bois
Tra la la la...

Translation of the lyrics into English

Here is an approximative translation into English:

Verse 1

My mother who fed me never knew my name
My mother who fed me never knew my name
They call me, they call me, they call me
Flower of thorn, flower of rose: it is my name
Tra la la la la...


Verse 2

Flower of thorn, flower of rose, it's a name that costs dear
Flower of thorn, flower of rose, it's a name that costs dear
Because it costs because it costs because it costs
Half the value of a hundred écus
Tra la la la la...


Verse 3

What is thus 100 écus when one has the lost honour
What is thus 100 écus when one has the lost honour
Because the honour, because the honour, because

The honour is privilege of the girls of fifteen years
Tra la la la...


Verse 4

So don't be so proud, we saw you the other night
So don't be so proud, we saw you the other night
We saw you, yes, we saw you, yes, we saw you
The other evening, a big bourgeois near you
Tra la la la...


Verse 5

It was not a bourgeois who was near me
It was not a bourgeois who was near me
It was the shade, it was the shade, it was the shade
Of the moon that lurked in the great wood
Tra la la la la...

Download the Lyrics for FREE!

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Fleur d’épine © French Moments

French Nursery Rhymes

My challenge for the year 2023 is to publish 80 French Nursery Rhymes lyrics and descriptions (list below). Come back as time goes by to discover the new articles:

About the author

Pierre is a French/Australian who is passionate about France and its culture. He grew up in France and Germany and has also lived in Australia and England. He has a background teaching French, Economics and Current Affairs, and holds a Master of Translating and Interpreting English-French with the degree of Master of International Relations, and a degree of Economics and Management. Pierre is the author of Discovery Courses and books about France.

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