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La Marseilles–The National Anthem of France–could very easily be adopted by the latter-day Tea Party American and other, related, patriots of the Americans…. Allons, enfants…
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French lyrics |
English translation |
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| Allons enfants de la Patrie, | Children of the Fatherland, let’s go, | |
| Le jour de gloire est arrivé! | The day of glory has arrived! | |
| Contre nous de la tyrannie, | Tyranny is against us, | |
| L’étendard sanglant est levé, | The bloody banner is raised, | |
| L’étendard sanglant est levé! | The bloody banner is raised! | |
| Entendez-vous dans les campagnes | In the countryside do you hear | |
| Mugir ces féroces soldats? | The roar of these ferocious soldiers? | |
| Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras | They come into your arms | |
| Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes! | To kill your sons, your companions! | |
| Aux armes, citoyens, | To arms, citizens, | |
| Formez vos bataillons, | Form your battalions, | |
| Marchons, marchons! | Let us march, let us march! | |
| Qu’un sang impur | So that an impure blood | |
| Abreuve nos sillons ! | Will water our furrows! | |
| Que veut cette horde d’esclaves, | What does this horde of slaves, | |
| De traîtres, de rois conjurés ? | Of traitors and conjured 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 ! | You bear or hold back your blows! | |
| Épargnez ces tristes victimes, | You 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[11] | 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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English versification, public domain[12] |
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| Ye sons of France, awake to glory, | ||
| Hark, hark! what myriads bid you rise! | ||
| Your children, wives and white-haired grandsires. | ||
| Behold their tears and hear their cries! (repeat) | ||
| Shall hateful tyrants, mischiefs breeding, | ||
| With hireling hosts, a ruffian band, | ||
| Affright and desolate the land, | ||
| While peace and liberty lie bleeding? | ||
| To arms, to arms, ye brave! | ||
| The avenging sword unsheath, | ||
| March on, march on! | ||
| All hearts resolv’d | ||
| On victory or death! | ||
| Now, now, the dangerous storm is rolling | ||
| Which treacherous kings confederate raise! | ||
| The dogs of war, let loose, are howling, | ||
| And lo! our fields and cities blaze! (repeat) alt: And lo! our homes will soon invade! |
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| And shall we basely view the ruin | ||
| While lawless force with guilty stride | ||
| Spreads desolation far and wide | ||
| With crimes and blood his hands embruing? | ||
| To arms, to arms, ye brave!… | ||
| With luxury and pride surrounded | ||
| The vile insatiate despots dare, | ||
| Their thirst of power and gold unbounded, | ||
| To mete and vend the light and air! (repeat) | ||
| Like beasts of burden would they load us, | ||
| Like gods would bid their slaves adore, | ||
| But man is man, and who is more? | ||
| Then shall they longer lash and goad us? | ||
| To arms, to arms, ye brave!… | ||
| O Liberty, can man resign thee | ||
| Once having felt thy generous flame? | ||
| Can dungeons, bolts or bars confine thee | ||
| Or whips thy noble spirit tame? (repeat) | ||
| Too long the world has wept, bewailing | ||
| That falsehood’s dagger tyrants wield, | ||
| But freedom is our sword and shield, | ||
| And all their arts are unavailing. | ||
| To arms, to arms, ye brave!… | ||
[edit]Additional verses
These verses were omitted from the national anthem .
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La Marseillaise |
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French lyrics |
English translation |
| Dieu de clémence et de justice | God of mercy and justice |
| Vois nos tyrans, juge nos coeurs | See our tyrants, judge our hearts |
| Que ta bonté nous soit propice | Thy goodness be with us |
| Défends-nous de ces oppresseurs (bis) | Defend us from these oppressors (repeat) |
| Tu règnes au ciel et sur terre | You reign in heaven and on earth |
| Et devant Toi, tout doit fléchir | And before You all must bend |
| De ton bras, viens nous soutenir | In your arms, come support us |
| Toi, grand Dieu, maître du tonnerre. | You Great God, Lord of the thunder. |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
| Peuple français, connais ta gloire ; | French people know thy glory |
| Couronné par l’Égalité, | Crowned by Equality, |
| Quel triomphe, quelle victoire, | What a triumph, what a victory, |
| D’avoir conquis la Liberté ! (bis) | To have won Freedom! (repeat) |
| Le Dieu qui lance le tonnerre | The God who throws thunder |
| Et qui commande aux éléments, | And who commands the elements, |
| Pour exterminer les tyrans, | To exterminate the tyrants |
| Se sert de ton bras sur la terre. | Uses your arm on the ground. |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
| Nous avons de la tyrannie | Of tyranny, we have |
| Repoussé les derniers efforts; | Rebuffed the final efforts; |
| De nos climats, elle est bannie ; | In our climate, it is banished; |
| Chez les Français les rois sont morts. (bis) | In France the kings are dead. (repeat) |
| Vive à jamais la République ! | Forever live the Republic! |
| Anathème à la royauté ! | Anathema to royalty! |
| Que ce refrain, partout porté, | That this refrain worn everywhere, |
| Brave des rois la politique. | Defies the politics of kings. |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
| La France que l’Europe admire | France that Europe admires |
| A reconquis la Liberté | Has regained Liberty |
| Et chaque citoyen respire | And every citizen breathes |
| Sous les lois de l’Égalité ; (bis) | Under the laws of Equality, (repeat) |
| Un jour son image chérie | One day its beloved image |
| S’étendra sur tout l’univers. | Will extend throughout the universe. |
| Peuples, vous briserez vos fers | People, you will break your chains |
| Et vous aurez une Patrie ! | And you will have a Fatherland! |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
| Foulant aux pieds les droits de l’Homme, | Trampling on the rights of man, |
| Les soldatesques légions | soldierly legions |
| Des premiers habitants de Rome | The first inhabitants of Rome |
| Asservirent les nations. (bis) | enslave nations. (repeat) |
| Un projet plus grand et plus sage | A larger project and wiser |
| Nous engage dans les combats | We engage in battle |
| Et le Français n’arme son bras | And the Frenchman does not arm himself |
| Que pour détruire l’esclavage. | But to destroy slavery. |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
| Oui ! Déjà d’insolents despotes | Yes! Already insolent despots |
| Et la bande des émigrés | And the band of emigrants |
| Faisant la guerre aux Sans-Culottes | Waging war on the unclothed (lit. without-breeches) |
| Par nos armes sont altérés; (bis) | By our weapons are withered; (repeat) |
| Vainement leur espoir se fonde | Vainly their hope is based |
| Sur le fanatisme irrité, | On piqued fanaticism |
| Le signe de la Liberté | The sign of Liberty |
| Fera bientôt le tour du monde. | Will soon spread around the world. |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
| À vous ! Que la gloire environne, | To you! Let glory surround |
| Citoyens, illustres guerriers, | Citizens, illustrious warriors, |
| Craignez, dans les champs de Bellone, | Fear in the fields of Bellona, |
| Craignez de flétrir vos lauriers ! (bis) | Fear the sullying of your laurels! (repeat) |
| Aux noirs soupçons inaccessibles | As for dark unfounded suspicions |
| Envers vos chefs, vos généraux, | Towards your leaders, your generals, |
| Ne quittez jamais vos drapeaux, | Never leave your flags, |
| Et vous resterez invincibles. | And you will remain invincible. |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
| (Couplet des enfants) | (Children’s Verse) |
| Enfants, que l’Honneur, la Patrie | Children, let Honour and Fatherland |
| Fassent l’objet de tous nos vœux ! | be the object of all our wishes! |
| Ayons toujours l’âme nourrie | Let us always have souls nourished |
| Des feux qu’ils inspirent tous deux. (bis) | With fires that might inspire both. (repeat) |
| Soyons unis ! Tout est possible ; | Let us be united! Anything is possible; |
| Nos vils ennemis tomberont, | Our vile enemies will fall, |
| Alors les Français cesseront | Then the French will cease |
| De chanter ce refrain terrible : | To sing this fierce refrain: |
| Aux armes, citoyens… | To arms, citizens… |
Plus–La Marseilles has a catchy little beat to it also–makes the blood run–makes one want to march–you know, move your feet! 
Amen.
John Daniel Begg
At Washington DC
Sunday, 17th March, Anno Domini Nostri Iesu Christi, 2013
JOHN DANIEL BEGG 