Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a French carol renowned for being, at least allegedly, one the oldest extant French carol, said to date from around the 1500's. Whether this means the melody, or the lyrics (insofar as the modern lyrics are preserved translations of the older varieties of French spoken back then), or both, is unknown to me as information on these aspects is scant, but the touting of this song as being one the oldest of its type is definitely something hammered home in most media concerning it.
I decided to arrange this in a modern style as one would hear from the 1800's onwards, with a very typical sound for Catholic French speaking countries: a church organ and a choir following a tonal harmonic progression.
French lyrics:
Entre le bœuf et l'âne gris
dort, dort, dort le petit fils.
Mille anges divins, mille séraphins
volent à l'entour de ce grand dieu d'amour.
Entre les deux bras de Marie
dort, dort, dort le fruit de vie.
Entre les roses et les lys
dort, dort, dort le petit fils.
Entre les pastoureaux jolis
dort, dort, Jésus qui sourit.
En ce beau jour si solennel
Dort, dort, dort l'Emmanuel.
English lyrics:
Between the ox and the grey donkey
sleeps, sleeps, sleeps the little son.
A thousand divine angels, a thousand seraphim
fly around this great God of love.
Between the two arms of Mary
Sleeps, sleeps, sleeps the fruit of life.
Between the roses and the lilies,
Sleeps, sleeps, sleeps the little son.
Amidst the gentle shepherds
Sleeps, sleeps Jesus who smiles.
On this beautiful, so solemn day
Sleeps, sleeps, sleeps Emmanuel.
Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a French carol renowned for being, at least allegedly, one the oldest extant French carol, said to date from around the 1500's. Whether this means the melody, or the lyrics (insofar as the modern lyrics are preserved translations of the older varieties of French spoken back then), or both, is unknown to me as information on these aspects is scant, but the touting of this song as being one the oldest of its type is definitely something hammered home in most media concerning it.
I decided to arrange this in a modern style as one would hear from the 1800's onwards, with a very typical sound for Catholic French speaking countries: a church organ and a choir following a tonal harmonic progression.
French lyrics:
Entre le bœuf et l'âne gris
dort, dort, dort le petit fils.
Mille anges divins, mille séraphins
volent à l'entour de ce grand dieu d'amour.
Entre les deux bras de Marie
dort, dort, dort le fruit de vie.
Entre les roses et les lys
dort, dort, dort le petit fils.
Entre les pastoureaux jolis
dort, dort, Jésus qui sourit.
En ce beau jour si solennel
Dort, dort, dort l'Emmanuel.
English lyrics:
Between the ox and the grey donkey
sleeps, sleeps, sleeps the little son.
A thousand divine angels, a thousand seraphim
fly around this great God of love.
Between the two arms of Mary
Sleeps, sleeps, sleeps the fruit of life.
Between the roses and the lilies,
Sleeps, sleeps, sleeps the little son.
Amidst the gentle shepherds
Sleeps, sleeps Jesus who smiles.
On this beautiful, so solemn day
Sleeps, sleeps, sleeps Emmanuel.
