Le Chant des Wallons
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Le Chant des Wallons (The Walloons' song) is the national anthem of the Walloon Region.
The lyrics were written in 1900, in the Walloon language, by Théophile Bovy, and the music composed in 1901 by Louis Hillier. It was sung for the first time in the city of Liège, but it quickly spread to other parts of Wallonia and sung as a national anthem (with people stamping to it, for example).
When, on July 15, 1998, the Walloon Parliament issued a law to define the official symbols of Walloon Region (flag, anthem and national day), it was a French translation of Li Tchant des Walons (the Walloon verson of the title) that was chosen; and the French lyrics were composed for that occasion. Note that the French version is not a direct translation of the original, there aren't the same number of verses, neither are they in the same order, and also sometimes the translation diverges significantly from the original Walloon text.
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[edit] Lyrics in Walloon
The original version in Walloon (here written in normalized orthography). Usually only the first and third verses are sung.
- I.
- Nos estans firs di nosse pitite patreye,
- Ca lådje et lon, on djåze di ses efants.
- Å prumî rang, on l' mete po l' industreye
- Et dvins les årts, ele riglatixh ostant.
- Nosse tere est ptite, mins nos avans l' ritchesse
- Des omes sincieus k' anôblixhèt leu nom.
- Et nos avans des libertés timpesse:
- Vola pocwè k' on-z est firs d' esse Walons !
- II.
- Di nosse passé cwand c' est k' on lét l' istwere,
- On s' recresteye vormint a tchaeke foyou.
- Et nosse cour crexhe cwand c' est k' on tuze al glwere
- Di nos vîs peres ki n' avît måy pawou.
- C' est gråce a zels ki ns djouwixhans del påye.
- Il ont språtchî l' innmi dzo leu talon.
- On ls a rclamé les pus vayants k' i gn åye:
- Vola pocwè k' on-z est fir d' esse Walon !
- III.
- Pitit payis, vos k' a tant d' grandeu d' åme,
- Nos vos inmans bén, sins k' nos l' breyanxhe tot hôt.
- Cwand on vs kidjåze, ås ouys montèt nos låmes
- Et nos sintans nosse cour bate a gros côps !
- N' åyîz nole sogne et vikez e liyesse,
- Di vos efants, les bresses et l' cour sont bons.
- Et nos avans les tchveas foirt près del tiesse:
- Vola pocwè k' on-z est fir d' esse Walon !
- IV.
- On s' voet voltî inte frés del Walonreye
- Et on-z est presse onk l' ôte a s' diner l' mwin.
- On fwait plaijhi bén sovint sins k' on l' deye.
- Nouk ni s' håynêye cwand c' est k' i vout fé l' bén.
- Li tchårité ki mousse el måjhinete
- N' î va k' al nute avou meye precôcions.
- Li pô k' on dene on nel dene k' e catchete:
- Vola pocwè k' on-z est fir d' esse Walon !
[edit] Lyrics in French
- I.
- Nous sommes fiers de notre Wallonie,
- Le monde entier admire ses enfants.
- Au premier rang brille son industrie
- Et dans les arts on l'apprécie autant.
- Bien que petit, notre pays surpasse
- Par ses savants de plus grandes nations.
- Et nous voulons des libertés en masse :
- Voilà pourquoi l'on est fier d'être Wallons !
- II.
- Entre Wallons, toujours on fraternise.
- Dans le malheur, on aime s'entraider :
- On fait le bien sans jamais qu'on le dise,
- En s'efforçant de le tenir caché.
- La charité visitant la chaumière
- S'y prend le soir avec cent précautions :
- On donne peu, mais c'est d'un coeur sincère :
- Voilà pourquoi l'on est fier d'être Wallons !
- III.
- Petit pays, c'est pour ta grandeur d'âme
- Que nous t'aimons, sans trop le proclamer.
- Notre oeil se voile aussitôt qu'on te blâme
- Et notre coeur est prêt à se briser.
- Ne crains jamais les coups de l'adversaire.
- De tes enfants les bras te défendront
- Il ne faut pas braver notre colère:
- Voilà pourquoi l'on est fier d'être Wallons !
[edit] Translation
- I.
- Of our land Wallonia we are proud.
- Her children are esteemed the world over.
- Behold the triumph of her industry,
- The grandeur of her arts!
- Though our land be small, still her science
- Surpasses that of many a populous nation
- What we yearn for most is our freedom.
- That is why we are proud to be Walloons!
- II.
- We Walloons are brothers to one another
- And comfort one another in distress
- We do good without boasting about it
- And try to keep it secret
- Charity visiting a poor cottage
- Goes by night and cautiously
- We may give little, but it comes from the heart.
- That is why we are proud to be Walloons!
- III.
- O humble land of Wallonia,
- Modestly we hail thee, land of our hearts' desire.
- We are saddened when men speak ill of thee.
- It truly breaks the heart!
- But fear not attacks from the enemy
- Thy children will defend thy high repute.
- Who dare affront our anger?
- That is why we are proud to be Walloons!
