Good morning, class!
My, we all look ridiculously cheery this morning considering
that it's Monday. (Humph! You guys have got a lot to learn about
Mondays!) No, really: more power to you if you can have such
beaming countenances on the first day of the week. The only problem
here is that you're making me jealous! I can handle every other
weekday, but all my normal maturity goes out the door on weekday
numero uno. I'm like: Waaah! And do you realize how ridiculous
it is for a professor to be "like Waah"? And yet you
folks sit there like so many Sphinxes, serenely staring at the
Egyptian desert. It's not fair, I tell you!
By the way, if you just came in, you have
missed absolutely nothing. (Just so THAT'S clear!) I was merely
raving as usual. Ha ha! Now let's get on with the real meat of
today's class (as in: Dinner is served!)
Now, guess what, everybody? I brought my Roland
PC-300 Midi Keyboard into class today. See? And guess what I'm
going to do with my Roland PC-300 Midi Keyboard in class today?
I'm going to play French songs on it. (All right, stop rhythmically
applauding and shouting "Whoo-whoo-whoo!" You're going
to wake up the students in Mrs. Smithers' boring history class
next-door!)
Now, allow me to ask you a question: What
is the first song you think of when you think of French songs?
(Anyone?) I mean, it's Frère Jacques, right? (Am I right?)
Okay, then, well, stand by, because Professor Q is going to play
that very song this very instant. (Let's see now, how does it
go again? Ah, yes....) What's that? Yes, I would encourage you
to sing along! Everyone together now....
Frère
Jacques , Frère
Jacques,
Dormez-vous, dormez-vous,
Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines,
Ding dang dong, Ding dang dong.
Ah, that was very agreeable! Very agreeable,
indeed! (Though I fear we may have woken up Mrs. Smithers' class!)
But what were we singing? Well, Frère Jacques is Brother
John, of course, and Dormez-Vous means "Are you sleeping?"
But here's the tough part: Les matines are Catholic prayers (matins),
you see, and so when we admonish Jacques to "Sonnez les
matines," we're telling him to ring the bells so that everyone
will come to pray. I need hardly add that "Ding dang dong"
is the sound that the bells make when Jacques complies with our
reasonable demand.
Now let's turn our attention to another Francophone
blockbuster: Au Clair de la Lune.
1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, sing....
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.
Ah, that was good, too! Excellent, in fact!
But I ask you again: What were we singing? Well, let me take
a stab at a quick translation (as in, en garde!): In the light
of the moon, my friend Pierrot, loan me your pen so that I can
write something down (Hey, I didn't say my translation would
rhyme!) My candle is out, the fire is too, Open your door for
the love of God.
Ah, exceedingly pleasant, I must say! (Tell the truth, gang:
you liked it, too, right? Exceedingly musical, upon my word!
You know, I missed my calling: I should have been a music teacher!)
Hmm, I think we have time for one more ditty:
Le bon roi Dagobert. And un, and deux, and trois....
Le
Bon roi Dagobert
a mis sa culotté à l'envers
Le grand Saint Eloi lui dit
O mon roi votre majesté
est mal culotté,
C'est vrai, lui dit le Roi,
je vais la remettre à l'endroit.
What can I say but bravo? We've got a regular
choir in here! But I ask you once again: What could we possibly
have been singing? Well, you'll never believe the translation:
it is grade-A silliness! You see, as the song begins, we learn
that the Good King Dagobert (the knucklehead!) has put his pants
on backwards! (Honestly, is that the sort of King you would want
to rule YOUR kingdom?) Fortunately, the everwatchful Saint Eloi
is on hand and notices the mixup. Well, to make a long story
short, Eloi informs the king of the blunder, and Dagobert immediately
promises to set things straight. ("You're right," says
the king. "What could I have been thinking?!" or words
to that effect.)
And now that we've thoroughly woken up Mrs.
Smithers' class, let's pat ourselves on the back for a job well-done.
We learned three great French songs today, didn't we?
Ding, dang, dong!
Oops, there's the bell (either that or Jacques
is sounding those 'matines' again, doggone him!) So have a great
Monday, and I'll "see you" here next week in this French
for Kids class. Dig? (Ooh, this was fun. I've got to bring this
Midi keyboard of mine to class more often!)