Mais où sont les neiges d’antan is the refrain of a famous poem by François Villon, translated as “But where are the snows of yesteryear?” The line is understood to express a melancholy nostalgia.
The translation was by the English poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Both the French antan and yesteryear originally simply meant “last year,” but today their meaning has broadened to “time gone by.”
the simple games of yesteryear that kept children entertained for hours
Recent Examples on the WebEach one, teach one: The benefits of appointing a single composer in residence at the CSO — instead of the slightly awkward tandem approach of yesteryear — became obvious during Missy Mazzoli’s recent tenure. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2022 Prince William also avoided the more scandalized social life of British heirs of yesteryear, or his brother, Harry, and uncle, Prince Andrew. Alistair Macdonald, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 There's an odd comfort to be found in the genre flicks of yesteryear, what with their practical gross-out effects and familiar slashers. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 6 Sep. 2022 Celebrities have developed a penchant for wearing vintage on the red carpet recently, providing fresh, modern spins on hard-to-come-by pieces of yesteryear and showcasing the sheer timelessness of good design. André-naquian Wheeler, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2022 Giving customers repair manuals and the ability to buy parts and buy or rent tools for M1 MacBook Airs and M1 MacBook Pros is a far cry from the Apple of yesteryear. Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 26 Aug. 2022 Probably because of the stress of their everyday jobs, it’s been said that those rec-league games of yesteryear between the fire department and police department would often get quite contentious. Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 Like most of yesteryear’s movie stars, Pitt came of age when an over/under $13 million opening for 12 Monkeys, Legends of the Fall or Se7en was an unqualified win. Scott Mendelson, Forbes, 8 Aug. 2022 As offenses continue to evolve beyond the spread formations of yesteryear, Tatum and Gentry have compensated by living on the cutting edge of new ideas and strategies. Evan Dudley, al, 8 Apr. 2021 See More