Les corons – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Pierre Bachelet

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the evocative world of Northern France through Pierre Bachelet's "Les Corons." This poignant song offers a glimpse into the lives and spirit of the region's mining communities, making it a powerful way to connect with French culture and history.

[English]

In the north, there were the mining villages

The land was coal

...

The sky was the horizon

The men were deep miners

...

Our windows looked out on similar windows

And the rain soaked my school bag

But when my father came home, his eyes were so blue

That I thought I saw the blue sky

I learned my lessons, my cheek against his arm

I believe he was proud of me

He was generous like those from the region

And I owe him who I am

In the north, there were the mining villages

The land was coal

The sky was the horizon

...

The men were deep miners

And it was my childhood, and it was happy

In the steam of the wash tubs

And I had the slag heaps instead of mountains

From above, I saw the countryside

My father was a "black face" like his parents were

My mother had white hair

They were from the pit, just as one is from a country

Thanks to them, I know who I am

In the north, there were the mining villages

The land was coal

The sky was the horizon

The men were deep miners

There was at the town hall on the day of the fair

A photo of Jean Jaures

And each glass of wine was a pink diamond

Set against a background of silicosis

They talked about 36 and gas explosions

About accidents from the depths of the pit

They loved their job like one loves a country

It’s with them that I understood

In the north, there were the mining villages

The land was coal

The sky was the horizon

The men were deep miners

The sky was the horizon

...

The men were deep miners

...

[French]

Au nord, c'étaient les corons

La terre c'était le charbon

Le ciel c'était l'horizon

Les hommes, des mineurs de fond

Nos fenêtres donnaient sur des fenêtres semblables

Et la pluie mouillait mon cartable

Mais mon père en rentrant avait les yeux si bleus

Que je croyais voir le ciel bleu

J'apprenais mes leçons, la joue contre son bras

Je crois qu'il était fier de moi

Il était généreux comme ceux du pays

Et je lui dois ce que je suis

Au nord, c'étaient les corons

La terre c'était le charbon

Le ciel c'était l'horizon

Les hommes des mineurs de fond

Et c'était mon enfance, et elle était heureuse

Dans la buée des lessiveuses

Et j'avais les terrils à défaut de montagnes

D'en haut je voyais la campagne

Mon père était "gueule noire" comme l'étaient sesparents

Ma mère avait les cheveux blancs

Ils étaient de la fosse, comme on est d'un pays

Grâce à eux je sais qui je suis

Au nord, c'étaient les corons

La terre c'était le charbon

Le ciel c'était l'horizon

Les hommes des mineurs de fond

Y avait à la mairie le jour de la kermesse

Une photo de Jean Jaures

Et chaque verre de vin était un diamant rose

Posé sur fond de silicose

Ils parlaient de 36 et des coups de grisou

Des accidents du fond du trou

Ils aimaient leur métier comme on aime un pays

C'est avec eux que j'ai compris

Au nord, c'étaient les corons

La terre c'était le charbon

Le ciel c'était l'horizon

Les hommes des mineurs de fond

Le ciel c'était l'horizon

Les hommes des mineurs de fond

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
corons /kɔʁɔ̃/ B1	noun - a type of housing for miners
charbon /ʃaʁbɔ̃/ A2	noun - coal
ciel /sjɛl/ A1	noun - sky
hommes /ɔm/ A1	noun - men
mineurs /minœʁ/ B1	noun - miners
enfance /ɑ̃fɑ̃s/ B1	noun - childhood
heureuse /øʁøz/ A2	adjective - happy
père /pɛʁ/ A1	noun - father
cheveux /ʃəvø/ A2	noun - hair
campagne /kɑ̃paɲ/ B1	noun - countryside
métier /metje/ B2	noun - trade or profession
généreux /ʒeneʁø/ B2	adjective - generous
fier /fjɛʁ/ B1	adjective - proud
photo /fɔto/ A1	noun - photo
vin /vɛ̃/ A1	noun - wine
diamant /dja.mɑ̃/ B2	noun - diamond

Key Grammar Structures

• Au nord, c'étaient les corons

  ➔ Impersonal expression using 'c'est' in the imperfect tense 'c'étaient' to describe a state or characteristic in the past.

  ➔ 'C'était' combines the impersonal pronoun 'cela' with the imperfect tense of 'être' to describe a past scene.

• Les hommes, des mineurs de fond

  ➔ Use of the plural noun 'les hommes' with apposition 'des mineurs de fond' to specify the subject.

  ➔ 'Les hommes' is the subject, and 'des mineurs de fond' clarifies that they are underground miners.

• Ma mère avait les cheveux blancs

  ➔ Use of the imperfect tense 'avait' to describe a continuous or habitual past state.

  ➔ 'Avoir' in imperfect tense 'avait' indicates a past state that was ongoing or habitual (having white hair).

• Ils étaient de la fosse, comme on est d'un pays

  ➔ Use of the imperfect 'étaient' with 'de la fosse' to describe a past state of being, and comparison with 'on est' in present tense.

  ➔ 'étaient' is the imperfect form of 'être' used here to describe a lingering past identity, compared to 'on est' which is the present tense meaning 'we are' or 'one is'.

• Les hommes, des mineurs de fond

  ➔ Repetition highlighting the subject and its clarification through apposition, emphasizing collective identity.

  ➔ Repeated phrase emphasizes the collective identity of 'the men' as 'underground miners'.