The Marseillaise
by Baron Halpenny, LincsMag Editor-in-Chief.
Date: 15 January 2010
You may know this as the national anthem of the Republic of France.
But to many it is something more, for it is truly one of the greatest songs of liberty that has been written, that comes alive wherever men are striving against oppression and striking for freedom.
It is now the anthem of liberty all over the world.
Indeed if you have ever seen that fantastic film Casablanca, you may well remember the scene in the bar where a young lady sings The Marseillaise, instantly firing the spirits of everyone to sing and so drown out the Nazis who are trying to sing their German song.
The power of this song and the incredibly moving music, must never be underestimated.
The Marseillaise was originally written in French in 1792, by Captain Rouget de Lisle who also set it to music for soldiers to sing as they marched: but because it was made known in Paris by the soldiers who came from Marseilles in the French Revolution, it became known as The Marseillaise.
THE MARSEILLAISE
YE sons of France, awake to glory,
Hark, hark, what myriads bid you rise,
Your children, wives, and grandsires hoary,
Behold their tears and hear their cries!
Shall hateful tyrants, mischief 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 resolved,
To victory or to death.
Now, now the dangerous storm is scowling
Which treacherous kings, confederate, raise;
The dogs of war, let loose, are howling,
And, lo! our fields and cities blaze.
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!
The avenging sword unsheath!
March on, march on, all hearts resolved,
To victory or to death.
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 ;
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!
The avenging sword unsheath!
March on, march on, all hearts resolved,
To victory or to death.
O Liberty, can man resign thee
Once having felt thy gen'rous flame?
Can dungeon bolts and bars confine thee,
Or whips thy noble spirit tame?
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!
The avenging sword unsheath!
March on, march on, all hearts resolved,
To victory or to death.
