Gens du pays

"Gens du pays" has been called the unofficial national anthem of Quebec. Written by poet, songwriter, and avowed Quebec nationalist Gilles Vigneault (with music co-written by Gaston Rochon), it was first performed by Vigneault on June 24, 1975 during a concert on Montreal's Mount Royal at that year's Fête nationale du Québec ceremony. It quickly became a folk classic, and it has been played frequently at Fête nationale ceremonies since then. The chorus is by far the most famous part of the song: Gens du pays, c'est votre tour / De vous laisser parler d'amour, which, translated, says, "Folks of the land, it is your turn to let yourselves be lovingly spoken to."

The song is also associated with the Quebec sovereignty movement and the sovereigntist Parti Québécois, which use it as a sort of anthem. A famous instance of this took place at René Lévesque's concession speech after the citizens of the province rejected independence in the 1980 Quebec referendum. At the end of Lévesque's speech, the crowd assembled to hear him speak stood up at the end of the speech and sang "Gens du pays", which Lévesque called "the most beautiful Québécois song in the minds of all Quebecers."

C'est le seul qui reste au bout de nos jours
Les vœux que l'on fait, les fleurs que l'on sème
Chacun les récolte en soi-même
Aux beaux jardins du temps qui court

It's the only thing left at the end of our days
The vows we make, the flowers we sow
Each one of us harvests them in ourselves
In the beautiful gardens of flowing time

Gens du pays, c'est votre tour
De vous laisser parler d'amour
Gens du pays c'est votre tour
De vous laisser parler d'amour

People of the country, it's your turn
To let yourselves talk about love
People of the country, it's your turn
To let yourselves be lovingly spoken to

Fond comme la neige aux doigts du printemps
Fêtons de nos joies, fêtons de nos rires
Ces yeux où nos regards se mirent
C'est demain que j'avais vingt ans

Melts like the snow in the fingers of spring
Let us feast on our joys, let us feast on our laughter
Those eyes where our gazes meet
It's tomorrow that I was 20 years old

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Wikipedia