Le Chant des Wallons
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| English: The Song of the Walloons | |
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Regional anthem of  Wallonia
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| Lyrics | Théophile Bovy, 1900 |
| Music | Louis Hillier, 1901 |
| Adopted | 1998 |
Le Chant des Wallons (The Song of the Walloons) is the anthem of Wallonia (Belgium).
The original words, written in Walloon as Li Tchant des Walons by Théophile Bovy in 1900, were in 1901 set to music composed by Louis Hillier. Performed for the first time in the city of Liège, the song quickly spread to other parts of French-speaking Belgium and established itself like a "national" anthem for Wallonia.
When, on 15 July 1998, the Walloon Parliament approved a law defining the official symbols of the Walloon Region (a flag, anthem, and holiday), it was a French version of Li Tchant des Walons that was chosen. However, the lyrics adopted on that occasion are not a direct translation of the original: the number and order of verses differ, and they diverge significantly from the original Walloon text in places.
Contents
Lyrics in Walloon
The original version in Walloon, here written in normalized orthography. (Normally 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 !
Lyrics in Standard 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 !
- IV.
- On s'aime entre frères de Wallonie
- Et on est prêts l'un l'autre à se donner la main.
- On fait plaisir bien souvent sans qu'on ne le dise.
- Nul ne s'affiche quand il veut faire le bien.
- La charité qui entre dans la maisonnette
- N'y va que de nuit avec mille précautions.
- Le peu qu'on donne on ne le donne qu'en cachette:
- Voilà pourquoi nous sommes fiers d'êtres Wallons !
English 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!
- IV.
- We love between brothers in Wallonia
- And we're willing each other to shake hands.
- We are pleased that we do not often say so.
- No one appears when it wants to do good.
- The charity that enters the house
- Is that going to night with a thousand precautions.
- The little that gives no one gives in secret:
- That's why we are proud to be Walloons!
External links
- Walloon Parliament - The Walloon Parliament has a page featuring the history and lyrics of the anthem, as well as instrumental versions.
- Union Culturelle Wallonne - The UCW has a page about the anthem that includes a vocal version from the CD, "Li Tchant des Walons", by the Orchestre de Choeurs de l'Opera Royal de Wallonie, with Patrick Delcour as baritone.
