ma Normandie

"Ma Normandie" is the anthem of the Bailiwick of Jersey, a British Crown dependency in the Channel Islands, and was written and composed by Frédéric Bérat. Jersey is historically part of the Duchy of Normandy, and French has been for centuries an official administrative language of Jersey, whose inhabitants have traditionally spoken a variety of Norman language.

Although "Ma Normandie" is used officially by Jersey at Commonwealth Games, Island Games and other international events where it is necessary for territories that otherwise use "God Save the Queen" to be distinguished, the fact that the song refers to France rather than to Jersey means that a body of opinion campaigns, so far unsuccessfully, for a change of anthem.

"Ma Normandie" is also widely used, but unofficially, as the regional anthem of Normandy.

"Ma Normandie"

Quand tout renait a l'espérance,

Et que l'hiver fuit loin de nous,

Sous le beau ciel de notre France,

Quand le soleil revient plus doux,

Quand la nature est reverdie,

Quand l'hirondelle est de retour,

J'aime à revoir ma Normandie,

C'est le pays qui m'a donné le jour.

J'ai vu les champs de l'Helvétie,

Et ses chalets et ses glaciers,

J'ai vu le ciel de l'Italie,

Et Venise et ses gondeliers.

En saluant chaque patrie,

Je me disais aucun séjour

N'est plus beau que ma Normandie,

C'est le pays qui m'a donné le jour.

Il est un âge dans la vie,

Ou chaque rêve doit finir,

Un âge ou l'âme recueillie

A besoin de se souvenir.

Lorsque ma muse refroidie

Vers le passé fera retour,

J'irai revoir ma Normandie,

C'est le pays qui m'a donné le jour.

English translation

When everything is reborn in hope

And winter flees far from us,

Under the beautiful sky of our France,

When the sun returns gentler,

When nature has turned green again,

When the swallow has returned,

I like to see once more my Normandy,

It’s the country where I saw the light of day.

I’ve seen the fields of Helvetia,

And its chalets and its glaciers,

I’ve seen the sky of Italy,

And Venice and its gondoliers.

Greeting each homeland,

I told myself that no stay

Is finer than my Normandy,

It’s the country where I saw the light of day.

There comes a time of life,

When every dream must finish,

A time when the restful spirit

Needs to remember.

When my chilled muse

Makes its way back to the past,

I’ll go see once more my Normandy,

It’s the country where I saw the light of day.

External links

• Midi file
• mp3 file

nrm:Ma Normandie

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