Lyrics
French (first verse and chorus, as usually sung)
Allons enfants de la Patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L'étendard sanglant est levé,
L'étendard sanglant est levé,
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats ?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes !
Aux armes, citoyens,
Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons !
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons !
English translation (NationalAnthems.com)
Arise, children of the Fatherland,
The day of glory has arrived!
Against us, tyranny's
Bloody banner is raised,
Bloody banner is raised.
Do you hear, in the countryside,
The roar of those ferocious soldiers?
They are coming into your very arms
To cut the throats of your sons and your wives!
To arms, citizens,
Form your battalions,
Let us march, let us march!
Let impure blood
Water our furrows!
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History
Rouget de Lisle, an army engineer, wrote the song in Strasbourg on the night of 25 April 1792, days after France declared war on Austria. He called it Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin (War Song for the Army of the Rhine).
Volunteers from Marseille sang it as they marched into Paris that summer, and Parisians named it after them. The National Convention made it the national anthem on 14 July 1795.
It was banned under Napoleon's empire and the restored monarchy, returned briefly after the 1830 revolution, and was restored for good in 1879. The constitutions of 1946 and 1958 both name it as the anthem.
What the words mean
The song is a call to arms against invading armies and the kings behind them. "Children of the Fatherland" addresses every citizen, not just soldiers.
The chorus line about "impure blood" is the most debated. Historians generally read it as the enemy's blood, a common image of the time, rather than a statement about any people.
When it is played
At official ceremonies and sports events, usually only the first verse and the chorus are played, lasting a little over a minute. Listeners stand. The law of 2003 on internal security made insulting the anthem at a public event organised by a public authority an offence.
Questions
- Who wrote La Marseillaise?
- Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle wrote both the words and the music in Strasbourg in April 1792.
- Why is it called La Marseillaise?
- Volunteer soldiers from Marseille sang it as they marched into Paris in 1792, and the name stuck.
- How many verses does La Marseillaise have?
- The usual text has seven verses, the last of which is known as the children's verse. Only the first verse and chorus are normally sung.
- When did La Marseillaise become the national anthem?
- The National Convention adopted it on 14 July 1795. After being banned for much of the 19th century, it was restored in 1879.
Sources
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