Au clair de la lune

Not to be confused with Clair de Lune.
"Au clair de la lune" from a children's book, c. 1910–1919.
MIDI rendition

"Au clair de la lune" (French pronunciation: [o klɛʁ də la lyn(ə)],[1] lit. 'By the Light of the Moon') is a French folk song of the 18th century. Its composer and lyricist are unknown. Its simple melody (Playⓘ) is commonly taught to beginners learning an instrument.

  1. ^ Word-final E caduc is silent in modern spoken French but obligatory in older poetry and often also in singing, in which case a separate note is written for it. Therefore "lune" is pronounced differently in the name of this song than in the song itself.