À la claire fontaine

À la claire fontaine m'en allant promener,

J'ai trouvé l'eau si belle que je m'y suis baignée.

I' ya longtemps que je t'aime, jamais je ne t'oublierai

Est c’est au pied d’un chêne que je m’suis reposé,

Sur la plus haute branche, un rossignol chantait.

I' ya longtemps que je t'aime, jamais je ne t'oublierai

Chante, rossignol, chante, toi qui as le cœur gai,

Tu as le cœur à rire… moi je l'ai à pleurer.

I' ya longtemps que je t'aime, jamais je ne t'oublierai

J'ai perdu mon ami sans l'avoir mérité,

Pour un bouquet de roses que je lui refusai.

I' ya longtemps que je t'aime, jamais je ne t'oublierai

Je voudrais que la rose fût encore au rosier,

Et que mon doux ami fût encore à m'aimer.

I' ya longtemps que je t'aime, jamais je ne t'oublierai

At the clear fountain

I was walking by the clear fountain,

I found the water so lovely I had to wash myself.

I've loved you for so long, I will never forget you

I laid down at the foot of an oak tree,

On the highest bough, a nightingale sang.

I've loved you for so long, I will never forget you

Sing, nightingale, sing, you who has a joyous heart.

Youu have a heart for laughing, mine can only cry.

I've loved you for so long, I will never forget you

I lost my love and I don't deserve it,

Because of a bouquet of roses I refused him.

I've loved you for so long, I will never forget you

I wish the rose were still on the bush,

And my sweetheart loved me still. 

I've loved you for so long, I will never forget you

Because of its familiarity in the Francophone community in Canada, À la claire fontaine has been used in community action. 

The embed first embed video is a video of a children's choir called Les Petits Chanteurs de Beauport (The little singers of beauport) remembering the victims of COVID-19.

The second embed video is a tribute to folk singer Kate McGarrigle sung by her family, with an unveiling of a spot in Montréal named after her called Place Kate McGarrigle.

In my research looking deeper into this song, I found several analyses of À la claire fontaine. Interestingly, all of the analyses, including mine, happened to centre around the significance of the roses at the end of the song.

Before looking at other analyses, I had the initial impression the song made references to virginity. I came to that conclusion from the mention of roses in a bouquet, and the narrator wishing the rose were still on the bush (i.e. not deflowered) to win the affection of their sweetheart.  

My Twitch audience who grew up listening to this song pointed me to different interpretations of the song however.

One viewer had a similar interpretation to me, saying that the hidden meaning behind the rose imagery had sexual references. They interpreted the roses as the act of cunnilingus, and that the narrator had refused to do this act to their sweetheart which resulted in the strain in their relationship.