À la claire fontaine
À la claire fontaine Lyrics. This is one of the most beloved French lullabies, sung to children for generations in France and French-speaking Canada. The sweet melody and gentle imagery of a clear fountain create a soothing rhythm perfect for bedtime. On this page, you will find the full lyrics to À la claire fontaine, the English translation, the meaning, and guitar chords.
Lyrics & chords
The original French words, with guitar & piano chords above each line.
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Traditional verse
What the words mean
Chords — guitar & piano
A clean, printable PDF of the chords on this page. Free for members — sign in to download.
What “À la claire fontaine” Means
An old French folk melody, sung across France and Québec for centuries. Its slow, even rhythm turned it naturally into a lullaby: the tender refrain — I have loved you so long, I will never forget you — becomes a parent’s quiet promise sung over the cradle. Water, walking and memory make it feel more like a gentle wish than a story, and that is exactly what soothes a child.
More songs to sing & play
Back to all our nursery rhymes and lullabies — each one with a different friend.
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- A traditional song. It comes from oral tradition and has no single known author. We credit the tradition and its country.
- Recording and arrangement: real instruments played by hand, no AI music, by Relax In No Time.
- Chords: written by us for guitar and piano.
- Translation: our own meaning-for-meaning translation, written for understanding. The sung words stay in the original language.
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