Sing-Along French Anthem

As promised, I am posting the link to the French National Anthem. It includes sing-along lyrics...of course, in french...but at least we will get the hang of its tune and rhythm!

So let's try to sing-along! Allez...Chantez...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K1q9Ntcr5g

Singing the Glory!

Songs of patriotism and pride...National Anthems

Here are the national anthems of India and France. Let's understand the spirit of the songs through every word...

The Constituent Assembly adopted the Indian national anthem from a song writtenand composed by the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on January 24, 1950.

Only the first of the five stanzas was designated as the anthem.

The English rendition of the songs are :

"Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,Dispenser of India's destiny.Thy name rouses the hearts of the Punjab,Sind, Gujarat, and Maratha,Of the Dravid, and Orissa and Bengal.It echoes in the hills of Vindhyas and,Himalayas, mingles in the music of theJamuna and the Ganges and is chanted bythe waves of the Indian sea.The pray for the blessings,and sing by the praise,The saving of all peoplewaits in thy hand.Thou dispenser of India's destiny,Victory, victory, victory to thee."

La Marseillaise was composed by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792 and was declared the French national anthem in 1795.

"Let's go children of the fatherland,The day of glory has arrived!Against us tyranny'sBloody flag is raised! (repeat)In the countryside, do you hearThe roaring of these fierce soldiers?They come right to our armsTo slit the throats of our sons, our friends!
Refrain
Grab your weapons, citizens!Form your batallions!Let us march! Let us march!May impure bloodWater our fields!

Sacred love of France,Lead, support our avenging arms! Liberty, beloved Liberty, Fight with your defenders! (repeat) Under our flags, let victory Hasten to your manly tones! May your dying enemies See your triumph and our glory!
Refrain
We will enter the pit When our elders are no longer there; There, we will find their dust And the traces of their virtues. (repeat) Much less eager to outlive them Than to share their casket, We will have the sublime pride Of avenging them or following them!"
Refrain

The Hindi and French versions will be posted soon!

Beginning to explore the French Flavours...

"Chai..chai...garama garam chai! " The words with the jangling of the saucers, reverberate in our minds. For most Indians, a day without a piping hot cup of tea is unthinkable. A visit to the kitli beside your office is a must! A refreshing drink to wash down all the worries of the day...

Likewise, its no wonder that Vincent Van Gogh's "The Cafe' Terrace in the Place du Forum at Night, Arles" (now known as Cafe' Van Gogh) painted in Arles, France, 1888 tells us about Coffee's popularity among the French!

But its amusing to know how we adapt to different tastes in a short time. So while the French relish our Adrak chai, we sip Le Café au lait...the coffee in milk! This cultural exchange programme of 2009 is going to be a memorable experience for each one of us.

I can say this because, it was a wonderful experience for me when I got the opportunity to be a host to a group of French guests for a few days. I was one of the volunteers to accompany them to the Calico Museum and a few Jain Temples in Ahmedabad. Interacting with the French group was great and conversing with them in French was my privilege! The group mostly consisted of senior ladies and gentlemen. Most of them were retired school teachers. They were curious to know about the temples and the gods and it was a bolt from the blue when I came to know that a few of them knew more about the temples and the carvings than I did!

Besides this what I enjoyed the most was the French Evening. It was so much fun and the group had put in a lot of efforts. When I entered the hall where the event was organised, I felt as if there was a little part of France there. In one corner, the walls were decorated with maps of France where little flags were pinned up to identify which part of the country each of the French visitors came from. In another corner a table was stacked with juices, soft drinks, a tray of chocolates and the famous French cheese. They made it sure that everyone present got a piece of it! Later, they performed school poems, french waltz dance, with music et al! One of the ladies called Nicole also played 'Mera Juta hai Japani and Jana Gana Mana' on the keyboard and made us feel proud and grateful. And to bring that all to an end, not to forget...the French Food! They served us with delicacies like Couscous( similar to our upama), pastas, salads, steamed veggies, and french deserts like the apple pie and cake. It was quite yummy unlike what we have been hearing about the french food!

Well, now the buck has been passed to us! It's our turn to show what Indian culture is all about. The talents that we possess, the skills that we have, the food that has a hint of our diversity and our hospitable nature that stands for our unity!

So lets bring all that together and work towards a grand Indian Evening in France! Cheers to this journey from India to France which will not only create new ties and bonds but which will also give us a chance to explore the person within us!!! :)