Most people know that la Marseillaise is the national anthem of France but did you know that it was actually written in Strasbourg, not Marseille?
In 1792, after France declared war on Austria, Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle wrote one of the most instantly-recognizable of European anthems. It was not however, intended to be the country’s national anthem – in fact, its lyric and original title, Chant de guerre pour l’Armée du Rhin (Battle Hymn of the Army of the Rhine) leave no doubt as to the true nature of this revolutionary song. The Marseillaise is a call to arms – a mobilizing anthem designed to induce the citizens of the republic to join up, to fight tyranny, and to water the fields of France with the blood of France’s Prussian enemies! It pulls no punches.
For many French people, the Marseillaise symbolizes that most sacred of secular trinities, ‘liberté, égalité, fraternité’ (liberty, equality, fraternity). It was adopted as the anthem of the French Republic in 1795, and takes its nickname from the fédérés (volunteers/federates) of Marseille, who sang it as they marched on Paris in the summer of 1792.
These days, only the most politically-correct verses tend to be sung; however, if you are curious, here’s a beautiful rendition by Placido Domingo, with the lyric in French and English below.
| French | English |
| Allons enfants de la Patrie, | Arise, children of the Fatherland, |
| Le jour de gloire est arrivé ! | The day of glory has arrived! |
| Contre nous de la tyrannie, | Against us tyranny |
| L’étendard sanglant est levé, (bis) | Raises its bloody banner (repeat) |
| Entendez-vous dans les campagnes | Do you hear, in the countryside, |
| Mugir ces féroces soldats ? | The roar of those ferocious soldiers? |
| Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras | They’re coming right into our arms |
| Égorger nos fils, nos compagnes ! | To cut the throats of our sons and women! |
| Aux armes, citoyens, | To arms, citizens, |
| Formez vos bataillons, | Form your battalions, |
| Marchons, marchons ! | Let’s march, let’s march! |
| Qu’un sang impur | Let an impure blood |
| Abreuve nos sillons ! (bis) | Water our furrows! (Repeat) |
| Que veut cette horde d’esclaves, | What does this horde of slaves, |
| De traîtres, de rois conjurés ? | Of traitors and conspiratorial kings want? |
| Pour qui ces ignobles entraves, | For whom are these vile chains, |
| Ces fers dès longtemps préparés ? (bis) | These long-prepared irons? (repeat) |
| Français, pour nous, ah ! quel outrage | Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage |
| Quels transports il doit exciter ! | What fury it must arouse! |
| C’est nous qu’on ose méditer | It is us they dare plan |
| De rendre à l’antique esclavage ! | To return to the old slavery! |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
| Quoi ! des cohortes étrangères | What! Foreign cohorts |
| Feraient la loi dans nos foyers ! | Would make the law in our homes! |
| Quoi ! Ces phalanges mercenaires | What! These mercenary phalanxes |
| Terrasseraient nos fiers guerriers ! (bis) | Would strike down our proud warriors! (repeat) |
| Grand Dieu ! Par des mains enchaînées | Great God ! By chained hands |
| Nos fronts sous le joug se ploieraient | Our brows would yield under the yoke |
| De vils despotes deviendraient | Vile despots would have themselves |
| Les maîtres de nos destinées ! | The masters of our destinies! |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
| Tremblez, tyrans et vous perfides | Tremble, tyrants and you traitors |
| L’opprobre de tous les partis, | The shame of all parties, |
| Tremblez ! vos projets parricides | Tremble! Your parricidal schemes |
| Vont enfin recevoir leurs prix ! (bis) | Will finally receive their reward! (repeat) |
| Tout est soldat pour vous combattre, | Everyone is a soldier to combat you |
| S’ils tombent, nos jeunes héros, | If they fall, our young heroes, |
| La terre en produit de nouveaux, | The earth will produce new ones, |
| Contre vous tout prêts à se battre ! | Ready to fight against you! |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
| Français, en guerriers magnanimes, | Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors, |
| Portez ou retenez vos coups ! | Bear or hold back your blows! |
| Épargnez ces tristes victimes, | Spare those sorry victims, |
| À regret s’armant contre nous. (bis) | Who arm against us with regret. (repeat) |
| Mais ces despotes sanguinaires, | But not these bloodthirsty despots, |
| Mais ces complices de Bouillé, | These accomplices of Bouillé, |
| Tous ces tigres qui, sans pitié, | All these tigers who, mercilessly, |
| Déchirent le sein de leur mère ! | Rip their mother’s breast! |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
| Amour sacré de la Patrie, | Sacred love of the Fatherland, |
| Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs | Lead, support our avenging arms |
| Liberté, Liberté chérie, | Liberty, cherished Liberty, |
| Combats avec tes défenseurs ! (bis) | Fight with thy defenders! (repeat) |
| Sous nos drapeaux que la victoire | Under our flags, shall victory |
| Accoure à tes mâles accents, | Hurry to thy manly accents, |
| Que tes ennemis expirants | That thy expiring enemies, |
| Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire ! | See thy triumph and our glory! |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
| (Couplet des enfants) | (Children’s Verse) |
| Nous entrerons dans la carrière | We shall enter the (military) career |
| Quand nos aînés n’y seront plus, | When our elders are no longer there, |
| Nous y trouverons leur poussière | There we shall find their dust |
| Et la trace de leurs vertus (bis) | And the trace of their virtues (repeat) |
| Bien moins jaloux de leur survivre | Much less keen to survive them |
| Que de partager leur cercueil, | Than to share their coffins, |
| Nous aurons le sublime orgueil | We shall have the sublime pride |
| De les venger ou de les suivre | Of avenging or following them |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
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