La Marseillaise

Arise, children of the Fatherland
The day of glory has arrived
Against us tyranny's
Bloody banner is raised (repeat)
Do you hear, in the countryside
The roar of those ferocious soldiers?
They're coming right into your arms
To cut the throats of your sons, your women

{Chorus:}
To arms, citizens! Form your battalions
Let's march, let's march
Let an impure blood
Soak our fields

What does this horde of slaves,
Of traitors and conspiratorial kings want?
For whom are these vile chains,
These long-prepared irons? (repeat)
Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage
What fury it must arouse!
It is us they dare plan
To return to the old slavery!

{to the Chorus}

What! Foreign cohorts
Would make the law in our homes!
What! These mercenary phalanxes
Would strike down our proud warriors! (repeat)
Great God! By chained hands
Our brows would yield under the yoke
Vile despots would have themselves
The masters of our destinies!

{to the Chorus}

Tremble, tyrants and you traitors
The shame of all parties
Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
Will finally receive their reward (repeat)
Everyone is a soldier to combat you
If they fall, our young heroes
Will pick them up ready to fight against you

{to the Chorus}

Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors
Bear or hold back your blows
Spare those sorry victims
Who arm themselves against us with regret (repeat)
But not these bloodthirsty despots
These accomplices of Bouillé
All these tigers who mercilessly
Rip their mother's breast

{to the Chorus}

Sacred love of the Fatherland
Lead, support our avenging arms
Liberty, cherished Liberty
Fight with thy defenders (repeat)
Under our flags, may victory
Hurry to thy manly accents
May thy expiring enemies
See thy triumph and our glory!

{to the Chorus}

We shall enter the career
When our elders are no longer there
There we shall find their dust
And the traces of their virtues (repeat)
Much less keen to survive them
Than to share their coffins
We shall have the sublime pride
Of avenging or following them!

{to the Chorus}