“Χριστούγεννα για τα παιδιά που δεν έχουν πλέον σπίτι” ο τίτλος του τραγουδιού που συνέθεσε ο Claude Debussy (μουσική στίχοι δικά του) αναφερόμενος στα παιδιά της Γαλλίας, κατεχόμενης από τους Γερμανούς το Δεκέμβριο του 1915. Ερμηνεύει η σοπράνο Elly Ameling, στο πιάνο ο Dalton Baldwin. Φωτογραφία: ο συνθέτης με την κόρη του, το 1915.

“Christmas for children who no longer have a home” is the original title of the song composed by Claude Debussy (music and lyrics by him) referring to the children of France, occupied by the Germans in December 1915. It is performed by soprano Elly Ameling, Dalton Baldwin is on the piano. Photo : the composer with his daughter, in 1915.

A carol for homeless children 
- English translation © Richard Stokes

We’ve no houses any more!
The enemy have taken everything,
everything, everything,
even our little beds!
They’ve burned the school and our teacher too.
They’ve burned the church and Mister Jesus
and the poor old man who couldn’t escape!
We’ve no houses any more!
The enemy have taken everything,
everything, everything,
even our little beds!
Of course! Daddy’s at the war,
poor mother died!
Before seeing all this.
What are we to do?
Noël, little Noël, don’t visit them,
don’t visit them ever again,
punish them!
Avenge the children of France!
The little Belgians, the little Serbs,
and also the little Poles!
If we’ve forgotten any, forgive us.
Noël! Noël! And above all, no toys,
try to give us back our daily bread.
We’ve no houses any more!
The enemy have taken everything,
everything, everything,
even our little beds!
They’ve burned the school and our teacher too.
They’ve burned the church and Mister Jesus
and the poor old man who couldn’t escape!
Noël! Hear us, we no longer have our little clogs:
but give victory to the children of France!