diff --git a/patacrep/content/song.py b/patacrep/content/song.py
index 42b4abba..c5455c92 100755
--- a/patacrep/content/song.py
+++ b/patacrep/content/song.py
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ def parse(keyword, argument, contentlist, config):
     Return a list of Song() instances.
     """
     plugins = config['_song_plugins']
-    if '_languages' not in config:
-        config['_languages'] = set()
+    if '_langs' not in config:
+        config['_langs'] = set()
     songlist = []
     for songdir in config['_songdir']:
         if contentlist:
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ def parse(keyword, argument, contentlist, config):
                         datadir=songdir.datadir,
                         ))
                     songlist.append(renderer)
-                    config["_languages"].add(renderer.song.language)
+                    config["_langs"].add(renderer.song.lang)
             if len(songlist) > before:
                 break
         if len(songlist) == before:
diff --git a/patacrep/data/templates/songs.tex b/patacrep/data/templates/songs.tex
index 5f7c8af6..957e610e 100644
--- a/patacrep/data/templates/songs.tex
+++ b/patacrep/data/templates/songs.tex
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
             "mandatory": true
             },
 "lang": {"description": {"english": "Language", "french": "Langue"},
-         "default": {"en": "english", "fr": "french"}
+         "default": {"english": "en", "french": "fr"}
       },
 "titleprefixwords": {"description": {"english": "Ignore some words in the beginning of song titles",
                                      "french": "Ignore des mots dans le classement des chansons"},
@@ -80,11 +80,11 @@
 (* block songbookpreambule *)
 (( super() ))
 
-(* for language in _languages -*)
-    \PassOptionsToPackage{((language))}{babel}
+(* for lang in _langs -*)
+    \PassOptionsToPackage{(( lang2babel(lang) ))}{babel}
 (* endfor *)
-\usepackage[(( lang2language(lang) ))]{babel}
-\lang{(( lang2language(lang) ))}
+\usepackage[(( lang2babel(lang) ))]{babel}
+\lang{(( lang2babel(lang) ))}
 
 \usepackage{graphicx}
 \graphicspath{ %
diff --git a/patacrep/latex/__init__.py b/patacrep/latex/__init__.py
index 2c6db73a..108ea445 100644
--- a/patacrep/latex/__init__.py
+++ b/patacrep/latex/__init__.py
@@ -5,4 +5,26 @@ This module uses an LALR parser to try to parse LaTeX code. LaTeX language
 will work on simple cases, but not on complex ones.
 """
 
+import logging
+from collections import OrderedDict
+
 from patacrep.latex.syntax import tex2plain, parse_song
+
+LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+BABEL_LANGUAGES = OrderedDict((
+    ('fr', 'french'),
+    ('en', 'english'),
+    ('de', 'german'),
+    ('es', 'spanish'),
+    ('it', 'italian'),
+    ('pt', 'portuguese'),
+))
+
+def lang2babel(lang):
+    try:
+        return BABEL_LANGUAGES[lang]
+    except KeyError:
+        available = ", ".join(BABEL_LANGUAGES.keys())
+        LOGGER.error('Unknown lang code: ' + lang + '. Supported: ' + available)
+        return 'english'
diff --git a/patacrep/songs/__init__.py b/patacrep/songs/__init__.py
index dcea0e27..63be6f62 100644
--- a/patacrep/songs/__init__.py
+++ b/patacrep/songs/__init__.py
@@ -7,30 +7,12 @@ import logging
 import os
 import pickle
 import re
-from collections import OrderedDict
 
 from patacrep.authors import process_listauthors
 from patacrep import files, encoding
 
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-BABEL_LANGUAGES = OrderedDict((
-    ('fr', 'french'),
-    ('en', 'english'),
-    ('de', 'german'),
-    ('es', 'spanish'),
-    ('it', 'italian'),
-    ('pt', 'portuguese'),
-))
-
-def lang2language(lang):
-    try:
-        return BABEL_LANGUAGES[lang]
-    except KeyError:
-        available = ", ".join(BABEL_LANGUAGES.keys())
-        LOGGER.error('Unknown lang code: ' + lang + '. Supported: ' + available)
-        return 'english'
-
 def cached_name(datadir, filename):
     """Return the filename of the cache version of the file."""
     fullpath = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(datadir, '.cache', filename))
@@ -107,7 +89,7 @@ class Song:
         "cached",
         "data",
         "subpath",
-        "language",
+        "lang",
         "authors",
         "_filehash",
         "_version",
@@ -204,8 +186,7 @@ class Song:
 
         - titles: the list of (raw) titles. This list will be processed to
           remove prefixes.
-        - language: the main language of the song, as language recognized by
-          the LaTeX babel package.
+        - lang: the main language of the song, as language code..
         - authors: the list of (raw) authors. This list will be processed to
           'clean' it (see function :func:`patacrep.authors.processauthors`).
         - data: song metadata. Used (among others) to sort the songs.
@@ -264,21 +245,6 @@ class Song:
         filepath = self.search_file(filename, ['', '.ly'])
         return filepath if none_if_not_found or filepath else filename
 
-    @property
-    def language(self):
-        """Return the string corresponding to the babel (LaTeX) language"""
-        return lang2language(self.lang)
-
-    @language.setter
-    def language(self, language):
-        """Set the language code"""
-        for lang, babel_language in BABEL_LANGUAGES.items():
-            if language == babel_language:
-                self.lang = lang
-                return
-        # TODO: raise a nice error
-        print('Unsupported language:' + language)
-
 def unprefixed_title(title, prefixes):
     """Remove the first prefix of the list in the beginning of title (if any).
     """
diff --git a/patacrep/songs/chordpro/__init__.py b/patacrep/songs/chordpro/__init__.py
index e0a4be2e..ca597af0 100644
--- a/patacrep/songs/chordpro/__init__.py
+++ b/patacrep/songs/chordpro/__init__.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from patacrep import encoding, files
 from patacrep.songs import Song
 from patacrep.songs.chordpro.syntax import parse_song
 from patacrep.templates import Renderer
+from patacrep.latex import lang2babel
 
 class ChordproSong(Song):
     """Chordpros song parser."""
@@ -57,7 +58,6 @@ class ChordproSong(Song):
             templatedirs = []
 
         context = {
-            'language': self.language,
             'lang': self.lang,
             "titles": self.titles,
             "authors": self.authors,
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ class ChordproSong(Song):
             ))
         jinjaenv.filters['search_image'] = self.search_image
         jinjaenv.filters['search_partition'] = self.search_partition
+        jinjaenv.filters['lang2babel'] = lang2babel
 
         try:
             return Renderer(
diff --git a/patacrep/songs/chordpro/ast.py b/patacrep/songs/chordpro/ast.py
index c0497c48..a02c93bb 100644
--- a/patacrep/songs/chordpro/ast.py
+++ b/patacrep/songs/chordpro/ast.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ DIRECTIVE_SHORTCUTS = {
     "c": "comment",
     "gc": "guitar_comment",
     "cover": "cov",
+    "language": "lang",
     }
 
 def directive_name(text):
diff --git a/patacrep/songs/chordpro/data/html/song_header b/patacrep/songs/chordpro/data/html/song_header
index 963ef686..bd401864 100644
--- a/patacrep/songs/chordpro/data/html/song_header
+++ b/patacrep/songs/chordpro/data/html/song_header
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@
   (* endif *)
 (* endfor *)
 
-(* if language is defined -*)
-  <span class="song-language">Language: (( language ))</span><br>
+(* if lang is defined -*)
+  <span class="song-language">Lang: (( lang ))</span><br>
 (* endif *)
 
 (* include 'content_metadata_cover' *)
diff --git a/patacrep/songs/chordpro/data/latex/song b/patacrep/songs/chordpro/data/latex/song
index 6f51d673..d106c2e8 100644
--- a/patacrep/songs/chordpro/data/latex/song
+++ b/patacrep/songs/chordpro/data/latex/song
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-(* if language is defined -*)
-    \selectlanguage{((language))}
+(* if lang is defined -*)
+    \selectlanguage{(( lang2babel(lang) ))}
 (* endif *)
 
 (*- if metadata.columns is defined *)
diff --git a/patacrep/songs/latex/__init__.py b/patacrep/songs/latex/__init__.py
index 2371c7d9..620475a2 100644
--- a/patacrep/songs/latex/__init__.py
+++ b/patacrep/songs/latex/__init__.py
@@ -8,19 +8,19 @@ will work on simple cases, but not on complex ones.
 import os
 
 from patacrep import files, encoding
-from patacrep.latex import parse_song
+from patacrep.latex import parse_song, BABEL_LANGUAGES
 from patacrep.songs import Song
 
 class LatexSong(Song):
     """LaTeX song parser."""
 
     def _parse(self, __config):
-        """Parse content, and return the dictinory of song data."""
+        """Parse content, and return the dictionary of song data."""
         with encoding.open_read(self.fullpath, encoding=self.encoding) as song:
             self.data = parse_song(song.read(), self.fullpath)
         self.titles = self.data['@titles']
         del self.data['@titles']
-        self.language = self.data['@language']
+        self.set_lang(self.data['@language'])
         del self.data['@language']
         if "by" in self.data:
             self.authors = [self.data['by']]
@@ -38,6 +38,15 @@ class LatexSong(Song):
         ))
         return r'\import{{{}/}}{{{}}}'.format(os.path.dirname(path), os.path.basename(path))
 
+    def set_lang(self, language):
+        """Set the language code"""
+        for lang, babel_language in BABEL_LANGUAGES.items():
+            if language == babel_language:
+                self.lang = lang
+                return
+        # TODO: add as custom language
+        LOGGER.error('Unsupported language:' + language)
+
 SONG_PARSERS = {
     'is': LatexSong,
     'sg': LatexSong,
diff --git a/patacrep/templates.py b/patacrep/templates.py
index 204d0b7a..a3ac78b9 100644
--- a/patacrep/templates.py
+++ b/patacrep/templates.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import re
 import json
 
 from patacrep import errors, files, songs
+from patacrep.latex import lang2babel
 import patacrep.encoding
 
 _LATEX_SUBS = (
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ class Renderer:
         self.jinjaenv.trim_blocks = True
         self.jinjaenv.lstrip_blocks = True
         self.jinjaenv.globals["path2posix"] = files.path2posix
-        self.jinjaenv.globals["lang2language"] = songs.lang2language
+        self.jinjaenv.globals["lang2babel"] = lang2babel
         self.template = self.jinjaenv.get_template(template)
 
 
diff --git a/test/test_chordpro/lang.source b/test/test_chordpro/lang.source
index ac284b64..c9a4c305 100644
--- a/test/test_chordpro/lang.source
+++ b/test/test_chordpro/lang.source
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{language: french}
+{language: fr}
diff --git a/test/test_chordpro/newline.html b/test/test_chordpro/newline.html
index 1fbb02a3..aca33fa6 100644
--- a/test/test_chordpro/newline.html
+++ b/test/test_chordpro/newline.html
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<span class="song-language">Language: english</span><br>
+<span class="song-language">Lang: en</span><br>