User:TheSmuel/temp/lavenoge

"La Venoge" is a poem written by Jean Villard Gilles. It refers to the River Venoge that flows in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland to Lake Léman. The poem, which is a vibrant and humorous homage to the author's canton, was the inspiration for the song Le Plat Pays by Jacques Brel (see  underneath Quote).

Many French Swiss, jokingly consider it as a kind of national anthem representing best their "minority entity" feelings towards the German Swiss vast majority(see ): "La Venoge" being the only significant river in canton of Vaud contributing the " French" Rhône basin, all others flowing through the  German Swiss Area into the Rhine River.

Quote
"C'est là que Jacques Brel avait entendu notre homme dire ce poème. Il avoua à Gilles – qu’il considérait comme son maître – avoir osé écrire «Le Plat Pays» au vu de l’étonnant succès que rencontrait – auprès des Parisiens – cet hymne à une rivière suisse inconnue!"

Translation: That's where (Gilles' Cabaret) Jacques Brell had heard our man recite his poem. He confided to Gilles - whom he considered as being his Master - to have had the courage to write «Le Plat Pays», considering the astonishingly great success this hymn to an unknown Swiss river encountered by the Parisian audience!