This is the 2411th most frequent Dutch word.
vielen
"Vielen" is the past tense (plural) of "vallen," meaning "fell" in English.
The word 'vielen' is used here as the past tense of 'vallen', meaning 'fell'.
We vielen allemaal bijna van onze stoelen van het lachen.
We almost fell from our chairs laughing.
The word 'vielen' here is used to indicate the stars descending during the described circumstance, as the past tense of 'vallen'.
De sterren vielen uit de lucht tijdens de heldere nacht.
The stars fell from the sky during the clear night.
Here, 'vielen' is part of the phrasal verb 'lastigvallen', meaning 'bother' or 'trouble', showing a metaphorical use of 'vallen'.