French Children’s Songs

French as no other language offers a wide variety of songs and rhymes that are made into games. Therefore, learning to understand and speak French will be easy for your child as these games are fun to play! Here you can find lyrics to some French children’s songs about animals, people, weather as well as some nonsense songs that many foreigners find puzzling.

We can teach your child all of these French songs for children in our French children’s club in the centre of Moscow!

Promenons-nous dans les bois
Pendant que le loup n’y est pas.
Si le loup y était
Il nous mangerait
Mais comme il n’y est pas,
Il nous mangera pas.
Loup y es-tu ? Entends-tu ?
Que fais-tu ?
Je mets ma chemise/chapeau/manteau
J’arrive….

We are wallking in the woods
While there is no wolf.
If there was a wolf,
It would eat us.
But as it is not here,
It will not eat us.
Wolf, where are you? Do you hear?
What are you doing?
I am putting on my shirt/hat/coat….
I’m coming…..

Une souris verte qui 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
Ca fera un escargot
Tout chaud

A green mouse is running in the grass.
I catch it by the tail.
I show it to my masters.
My masters tell me:
“Dip it in oil.
Dip it in water.
This way you will get a snail,
A hot snail”

A la pêche aux moules, moules, moules
Je n´veux plus y aller maman
Les gens de la ville, ville, ville
M´ont pris mon panier maman.
Les gens de la ville, ville, ville
M´ont pris mon panier maman.

Going to pick mussels
I don’t want to go there any more, mommy.
People in the town, town, town
Took my basket, mommy.
People in the town, town, town
Took my basket, mommy.

Vive le vent, vive le vent
Vive le vent d’hiver!
Qui s’en va sifflant, soufflant
Dans les grands sapins verts!

Glory to the wind, glory to the wind
Glory to the wind of winter!
Which comes whistling and blowing
In the big green fir-trees!

Passe, passe, passera
La dernière, la dernière
Passe, passe, passera,
La dernière restera.
Qu’est-ce qu’elle a donc fait
La petite hirondelle ?
Elle nous a volé
Trois petits grains de blé.
Nous la rattraperons
La petite hirondelle,
Et nous lui donnerons
Trois petits coups de bâton.

Pass, pass, pass
The last, the last
Pass, pass, pass
The last is staying.
What has she done,
A little swallow?
She has stolen
Three grains of wheat.
We will catch her,
The little thief,
And we will give her
Three blows with a stick.

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 !

In the moonlight,
My friend Pierrot,
Lend me your feather
To write a word.
My candle is dead
I don’t have any more light.
Open me your door
For God’s sake!

Ainsi font, font, font,
Les petites marionnettes,
Ainsi font, font, font,
Trois p’tits tours et puis s’en vont.
Les mains aux côtés,
Sautez, sautez, marionnettes,
Les mains aux côtés,
Marionnettes, recommencez.

They do it this way
Little puppets,
They do it this way
Three little turns and they disappear.
Hands on hips,
Hop, hop, puppets,
Hands on hips,
Puppets start over again.

Children’s songs in French videos with English translations are a great tool for parents whose knowledge of the French language is a bit rusty but who would still want their child to maintain and develop their French language skills. Our English translations of French songs for children help you understand the general meaning of each French children’s song we have, its main characters and events.

When we use French children’s songs in teaching French to little children in our French children’s club in Moscow we make sure that each French song for children is introduced with a set of motions or finger plays. English translations and videos of these French songs for children help you make up your own set of motions to go with each song.