En Afrique, malgré le vent la pluie (In Africa, despite wind and rain) is a song of the French Foreign Legion. It uses the melody of “Auf Kreta im Sturm und im Regen” (On Crete in windstorm and in rain), a popular song of the Fallschirmjäger, German paratroopers during the WWII period. The song was composed in 1941, to celebrate Operation Mercury of the Battle of Crete, the first mainly airborne invasion in military history.

The Foreign Legion adopted the song first with slightly modified German lyrics, titled Auf Kreta, and translated it into French most likely in the 1950s, during the Algerian War.

For an unknown reason, the refrain in both German and French versions was supplemented with yodeling coming from South Tyrol’s “Bozner Bergsteigerlied” (also known as “Wohl ist die Welt so groß und weit”).

En Afrique malgré le vent, la pluie
Guette la sentinelle sur le piton
Mais son cœur est au pays chéri
Quitté pour voir des horizons lointains
Ses yeux ont aperçu l’ennemi qui s’approche
Qui s’approche
L’alerte est donnée, les souvenirs s’envolent
Maintenant au combat

Dans le ciel brille l’étoile qui lui rappelle son enfance,
Adieu mon pays, adieu mon pays, jamais je ne t’oublierai
Heili Heilo, Heili Heilo, Hei tralalalala, la la,

(whistling)

Dans le ciel brille l’étoile qui lui rappelle, son enfance,
Adieu mon pays, adieu mon pays, jamais je ne t’oublierai.

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