Vive la rose is an 18th century French folk song about unrequited love

Unrequited love

Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections...

. "Mon ami me délaisse" is roughly translated as "My boyfriend dumped me". The song goes on to explain that he has found a new girlfriend. Another verse says that rumor has it that she is sick. The narrator says that if she dies, he will probably want to come back to her, but she will not have him. The chorus "Vive la rose et le lilas" means "Long live the rose

Rose

A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...

 and the lily

Liliaceae

The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...

."

Vive la rose was Emile Benoit

Émile Benoît

Émile Joseph Benoît was a Canadian fiddler, who became known for popularizing Franco-Newfoundlander folk music traditions....

's last recording. It was interpreted by several other musicians; one such interpretation was referred to as "une vieille chanson française interprétée par la suite par Guy Béart pour les enfants". It was interpreted by Guy Béart

Guy Béart

Guy Béart is a French singer and songwriter.-Biography:He was born Guy Béhart-Hasson in Cairo, Egypt, to a family of Spanish, Swiss, and Russian background. His religious background is unclear, having been referred to as both Jewish and Christian...

 (1960), Cora Vaucaire (1975), Nana Mouskouri

Nana Mouskouri

Nana Mouskouri , born Ioánna Moúschouri on October 13, 1934, in Chania, Crete, Greece, is a Greek singer who has sold about 300 million records worldwide in a career spanning over five decades, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She was known as Nána to her friends and...

 (1978) and Mes souliers sont rouges (2000). Other names for the song include "Mon amant me délaisse" and "La méchante."

In 2009, Benoit's rendition of the song was adapted as a National Film Board of Canada

National Film Board of Canada

The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...

 mixed media

Mixed media

Mixed media, in visual art, refers to an artwork in the making of which more than one medium has been employed.There is an important distinction between "mixed-media" artworks and "multimedia art". Mixed media tends to refer to a work of visual art that combines various traditionally distinct...

short film by Bruce Alcock.