muguet

le muguet (mew-geh) n.m.

 : lily of the valley

The following lyrics are from the beloved French folk singer George Brassens. Check out his music and hear a few samples.

Le premier mai c'est pas gai / The first of May is not cheerful
Je trime a dit le muguet / I slave away, said the lily of the valley
Dix fois plus que d'habitude / Ten times more than usual
Regrettable servitude / A regrettable encumbrance

Muguet, sois pas chicaneur / Muguet, don't be a quibbler
Car tu donnes du bonheur / Because you make people happy...
Brin d' muguet, tu es quelqu'un... / Little bouquet of lily, you are somebody...
.

A Day in a French Life...
by Kristin Espinasse

Question: So what are the French doing today, the first of May, besides la grasse matinée?

Answer: Waving snow-white porte-bonheurs through the air and wishing each other good luck!

Along little cobblestone paths in the French hinterland, and at noisy intersections across the city, French vendeurs de muguet are taking over street curbs with buckets of lilies of the valley and shouting Le muguet du premier mai!--cashing in on today's national holiday, Labor Day (or La Fête du Travail).

On May 1st it is the custom to offer loved ones little bouquets of those sweet-scented, clochette-shaped flowers--in a gesture of friendship and in celebration of spring. It's la Fête du Muguet!

Today, commercants are handing out the friendship flowers: the butcher (who should be off work, non?) is offering un brin de muguet to his faithful clients and some fancy boxed cakes have been seen leaving the chocolate shop with the little white flowers tucked beneath the shiny ribbons that fasten the boxes.

"Ah, bon?" My mother-in-law replies over the phone, étonnée. "Shopkeepers here in Marseilles don't offer muguet!"

After a moment of silence, she quietly admits that no one has ever offered her a bouquet of muguet des bois.... But that doesn't stop my belle-maman from taking un petit brin to her 'little neighbor' downstairs, a custom she took up several years ago, to add cheer to the lonely foyer of another forgotten heart.

                                       *     *     *

Bonne Fête du Muguet! Good luck to you in the challenges you face--bon courage wherever on this globe you may call home.

Comments welcome here. What else comes to mind when you think of muguet or lily of the valley? How are you spending today, le premier mai?
.............................................................................................................
faire la grasse matinée = "to do the fat morning" (to sleep in); un porte-bonheur (m) = lucky charm; vendeur, vendeuse de muguet = lily of the valley seller; Le muguet du premier mai! = The First of May's Lily of the Valley (buy some now)!; la clochette (f) = bell; commerçant(e) (adj) = businesslike; commerçant(e) (mf) = shopkeepers; Ah, bon? = oh, really?; étonné(e) = puzzled; le muguet des bois (m) = "lily of the woods" (woodruff); la belle-maman (f) = mother-in-law; un petit brin (m) = "a little blade" (a little bouquet); coo-toom (pronunciation for 'coutume' (f) = custom

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Listen--hear my son, Max, pronounce the word 'muguet': Download muguet.wav

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1. "French envelope" tote bag (pictured above)
2. Check out Carla Bruni's Little French Songs. 
3. Have a little French picnic--with the help of these.

 

Comments

[Judy Harris]

Since I first saw and smelled muguet, I've loved it. It usually blooms out before May 1 here. But one year it was a little late and I took a sprig to my French teacher, not even thinking about the date -- which happened to be May 1. She began to cry with happiness! Then she explained that she grew up in France with this tradition that a gift of muguet on the first of May brings good luck. She had lived here for years and had not realized how much that tradition meant.I love serendipity! As it happens, mine is blooming today as we have had an unusually cool, late spring again this year. Du Bonheur!

[Eileen deCamp]

Hi Kristin,

I love Lily of the Valley! I remember receiving a bouquet when we lived in Belgium. Such a nice custom!

I love the photo of the Larkspur too! Enjoy your day and I'm sure you are looking forward to spending time with Jules!

[Adeline]

Hello there!
Have a lovely May1! Enjoy the unique smell of lily of the valley and... may it bring you lots of luck!

Is wild muguet growing in the woods where you live? I loved going muguet-picking when I was a child.
Here on Reunion Island, an exotic variety of muguet grows, with green and white leaves. Unfortunately it doesn't smell at all! What a pity!

[Kristin Espinasse]

Adeline, I have not seen it growing here, near Bandol, but I will plant the two brins, or sprigs, I bought today. They seem to be forest flowers... Will see if they like there new spot beneath the pines.

[Marilyn]

I have always loved lily of the valley--where I grew up in Wisconsin they bloomed for my birthday (end of May). I always thought they bloomed especially for me. They are still my favorite flower---such perfect delicacy paired with the most delightful fragrance.

[Laura Isenstein]

You have brought back wonderful memories from my childhood of Lilies of the Valley. It is a fragrance one never forgets. One of my friends had it growing in the family garden and we loved to smell and cut some to take into the house.

[Natalia]

Our dear Kristi,
What a beautiful post and pictures!
My memory sweeps back to how much my mom loved Muguet du Bois (it was her favorite perfume,too), and how my thoughtful hubby gave me sprigs when we were in Paris on May 1st.
It does not do well here in the West (regardless of how hard I've tried),and your gifted words have once again brought back happy remembrance (and divine fragrance)and wrapped my heart in smiles.
THANK YOU!!!
Love, Natalia XO

[Rose Chandler Johnson]

Kristin, thanks for sharing this. I love les muguets and this lovely French custom. I've grown lily-of-the-valley before...they are so beautiful...but it's so hot in Georgia, I haven't been able to keep them over a few years. Have a lovely holiday!

[Jan Hersh]

A lovely round:
White coral bells upon a slender stalk
Lilies of the valley deck my garden walk
Oh, don't you wish that you could hear them ring
That will only happen when the fairies sing