Dans l'eau de la claire fontaine

This is a light-hearted song about a young girl swimming naked in a country spring. "A la claire fontaine" is one of the multitude of traditional French songs that Brassens knew so well and which gave him such great pleasure. However he limits himself to the first verse:
A la claire fontaine
M'en allant promener
J'ai trouve l'eau si belle
Que je m'y suis baigne.

All the rest of the song is Brassens' gentle fantasy.

I think the delicate illustration painted by Marie-France RIVIERE perfectly conveys the idyll.

Dans l'eau de la claire fontaine (i) Elle se baignait toute nue Une saute de vent soudaine Jeta ses habits dans les nues (ii) En détresse, elle me fit signe Pour la vêtir, d'aller chercher Des monceaux de feuilles de vigne Fleurs de lis ou fleurs d'oranger Avec des pétales de roses Un bout de corsage lui fis La belle n'était pas bien grosse Une seule rose a suffi Avec le pampre de la vigne Un bout de cotillon lui fis Mais la belle était si petite Qu'une seule feuille a suffi Elle me tendit ses bras, ses lèvres Comme pour me remercier Je les pris avec tant de fièvre Qu'ell' fut toute déshabillée Le jeu dut plaire à l'ingénue Car, à la fontaine souvent Ell' s'alla baigner toute nue En priant Dieu qu'il fit du vent Qu'il fit du vent...

In the clear pool of a forest spring She was bathing all in the nude A sudden change of wind direction Threw her clothes up into the sky. In distress, she signalled to me To fetch. in order to clothe her, Piles of vine leaves and of flowers Fleurs de lis or orange blossom. With the help of petals of roses A bit of a top I made her. The fair maid was not very big One single rose proved adequate. With the help of a branch of vine A bit of a skirt I made her But the fair maid was so dainty One single leaf proved adequate. She offered me her arms, her lips As if to show her thanks to me. So feverishly did I accept That she was all undressed again. The game must’ve pleased the innocent For she went often to the spring And used to bathe all in the nude, Praying God that the wind might blow The wind might blow

TRANSLATION NOTES

(i) Fontaine – as well as meaning fountain, it also means a water spring (The most common word to translate spring is - une source)
(ii) Les nues – means the clouds, the skies. It is more literary than “les nuages”



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