La Marseillaise is the national anthem of France. It was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle on April 24, 1792. Its original name is Chant de marche de l'Armée du Rhin (Marching song of the Rhine Army). It became the rallying call of the French Revolution and was so-called because it was first sung on the streets by troops from Marseille upon their arrival in Paris. The song was banned in Vichy France and German occupied areas during World War II.
La Marseillaise was rearranged by Hector Berlioz around 1830.
In France itself, the anthem (and particularly the lyrics) has become a controversial issue since the 1970s. Some consider it militaristic and racist, and many propositions have been made to change the anthem or the lyrics. However, La Marseillaise has been associated throughout its history with republican sympathies, and singing it was an act of resistance during World War II. Thus, no change is likely to occur.
Recently, and despite the lyrics, it was largely sung by anti-racist protesters after the accession of Jean-Marie Le Pen to the second turn of presidential élection in 2002.
In fiction, the song was part of a famous scene in Casablanca in which French resistance sympathizers tried to sing the song louder than the Nazi soldiers who were singing "Die Wacht am Rhein[?]".
Marseillaise.mid
- Allons enfants de la Patrie
- Le jour de gloire est arrivé.
- Contre nous de la tyrannie
- L'étendard sanglant est levé (bis)
- Entendez-vous dans nos campagnes
- Mugir ces féroces soldats ?
- Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras,
- Egorger vos fils, vos compagnes.
Refrain:
- Aux armes citoyens!
- Formez vos bataillons!
- Marchons, marchons,
- qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons.
- Que veut cette horde d'esclaves
- De traîtres, de rois conjurés ?
- Pour qui ces ignobles entraves
- Ces fers dès longtemps préparés ? (bis)
- Français, pour nous, ah! quel outrage
- Quels transports il doit exciter ?
- C'est nous qu'on ose méditer
- De rendre à l'antique esclavage !
- Refrain
- Quoi ces cohortes étrangères !
- Feraient la loi dans nos foyers !
- Quoi ! ces phalanges mercenaires
- Terrasseraient nos fils guerriers ! (bis)
- Grand Dieu! par des mains enchaînées
- Nos fronts sous le joug se ploieraient
- De vils despotes deviendraient
- Les maîtres des destinées.
- Refrain
- Tremblez, tyrans et vous perfides
- L'opprobre de tous les partis
- Tremblez! vos projets parricides
- Vont enfin recevoir leurs prix ! (bis)
- Tout est soldat pour vous combattre
- S'ils tombent, nos jeunes héros
- La France en produit de nouveaux,
- Contre vous tout prêts à se battre
- Refrain
- Français, en guerriers magnanimes
- Portez ou retenez vos coups !
- Épargnez ces tristes victimes
- A regret s'armant contre nous (bis)
- Mais ces despotes sanguinaires,
- Mais ces complices de Bouillé
- Tous ces tigres qui, sans pitié
- Déchirent le sein de leur mère !
- Refrain
("Couplet des enfants")
- Nous entrerons dans la carrière
- Quand nos aînés n'y seront plus,
- Nous y trouverons leur poussière
- Et la trace de leurs vertus (bis)
- Bien moins jaloux de leur survivre
- Que de partager leur cercueil,
- Nous aurons le sublime orgueil
- De les venger ou de les suivre !
- Refrain
- Amour sacré de la Patrie
- Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs
- Liberté, Liberté chérie
- Combats avec tes défenseurs ! (bis)
- Sous nos drapeaux, que la victoire
- Accoure à tes mâles accents
- Que tes ennemis expirants
- Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire !
- Refrain
- Arise children of the fatherland
- The day of glory has arrived
- Against us tyranny's
- Bloody standard is raised
- Listen to the sound in the fields
- The howling of these fearsome soldiers
- They are coming into our midst
- To cut the throats of your sons and consorts
- To arms, citizens!
- Form your battalions!
- March, march
- Let impure blood
- Water our furrows
- What do they want this horde of slaves
- Of traitors and conspiratorial kings?
- For whom these vile chains
- These long-prepared irons?
- Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage
- What methods must be taken?
- It is us they dare plan
- To return to the old slavery!
- What! These foreign cohorts!
- They would make laws in our courts!
- What! These mercenary phalanxes
- Would cut down our warrior sons
- Good Lord! By chained hands
- Our brow would yield under the yoke
- The vile despots would have themselves be
- The masters of destiny
- Tremble, tyrants and traitors
- The shame of all good men
- Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
- Will receive their just reward
- Against you we are all soldiers
- If they fall, our young heroes
- France will bear new ones
- Ready to join the fight against you
- Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors
- Bear or hold back your blows
- Spare these sad victims
- That they regret taking up arms against us
- But not these bloody despots
- These accomplices of Bouillé
- All these tigers who pitilessly
- Ripped out their mothers' wombs
- We shall enter into the career
- When our elders will no longer be there
- There we shall find their ashes
- And the mark of their virtues
- We are much less jealous of surviving them
- Than of sharing their coffins
- We shall have the sublime pride
- Of avenging or joining them
- Drive on sacred patriotism
- Support our avenging arms
- Liberty, cherished liberty
- Join the struggle with your defenders
- Under our flags, let victory
- Hurry to your manly tone
- So that in death your enemies
- See your triumph and our glory!
La Marseillaise is also the name of a relief sculpture group on the Arc de Triomphe, also known as The Departure of the Volunteers of 1792, by Francois Rude.