Category: Culture

Verlaine’s Chanson d’automne


“Chanson d’automne” (“Autumn Song”) is a poem by Paul Verlaine, one of the best known in the French language. It is included in Verlaine’s first collection, Poèmes saturniens, published in 1866 (see 1866 in poetry). The poem forms part of the “Paysages tristes” (“Sad landscapes”) section of the collection

Poem: “Chanson d’Automne” by Paul Verlaine

Charles Trenet “Verlaine”
The legendary French crooner Charles Trenet added music to Verlaine’s poem and recorded the song twice, first in the early 1940’s and again in the 1950s with a slower arrangement adding a string section. Here’s the original jazz version.

Word War II Resistance Code
The song’s lyrics include the line “les sanglots longues des violons de l’automne blessent mon coeur d’un langueur monotone” which translates as “the long sobs of the violins of autumn wound my heart with a monotonous languor”.
These words were used in 1944 to form the code phrases that alerted the Resistance to the Allied invasion of France, and were depicted in the earlier epic World War II movie The Longest Day (1962).

Chanson Du Jour: Plantons la Vigne

Henriette and Elie Zmirou “Plantons la Vigne” (Planting the Vine)

While on assignment at the UN in New York in 1954, French couple Henriette and Elie Zmirou remembered their homeland by singing folk songs. Henriette learned all of hers from her mother, grandmother, and people among whom she lived in Normandy. The lyrics of these unaccompanied solos and duos are translated into English. (Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage)

Best croissants in Paris

While Londoners are losing their minds over Dominique Ansel’s cronut, the Parisian love affair with the croissant endures. These famously flaky pastries have been fuelling the city for hundreds of years – long enough to know there is nothing more tragic than a pale, soggy croissant to start the day. So after working our way through the finest jambon-beurre, we’ve scoured pâtisseries far and wide for the crème-de-la-crème of the capital’s croissants au beurre.Ranked on appearance (golden all over and brown on the bottom), pastry quality and taste, these buttery beauties are well worth crossing Paris for. Your breakfast may never be the same again.

Read the Top 5: Best croissants in Paris: Time Out Paris

List of French TV Series Available on VOD Platforms

The Film Department has prepared a list of some of the best French TV series available on VOD platforms as Amazon, Hulu and Netflix. With themes like sex (THE BORGIAS, MAISON CLOSE and VERSAILLES), murder, suspense (BRAQUO, THE BUREAU and WITNESSES), humor (CALL MY AGENT), and art, they are definitely worth a watch!

Source: List of French TV Series Available on VOD Platforms | French Culture