Adopting the joyous american melody of ‘Jingle Bells’, comedian Francis Blanche composed French lyrics for what became a very popular Christmas song, ‘Vive le vent d’hiver’ (Long live the winter wind). Here is the chorus which everyone in France knows:
Vive le vent, vive le vent, vive le vent d’hiver
qui s’en va sifflant, soufflant dans les grands sapins verts
Vive le temps, vive le temps,
vive le temps d’hiver
boules de neige et jour de l’an
et bonne année grand-mère.
Long live the wind, long live the wind, long live the winter wind, which goes whistling, blowing
In the great Christmas trees/green firs
Long live the time, long live the time,
Long live the winter time,
Snowballs and New Year’s Day
and Happy New Year, Grandma
Here is a modern version sung by Mika and orchestrated by famous French composer Michel Legrand
