BETA

The Marseillaise Hymn.

[The following translation of this celebrated national
Anthem which is so intimately associated with many
stirring and memorable events in French history, and
which is now so enthusiastically chanted throughout
France, may not be uninteresting to our readers at the
present crisis] :—

I.

On, countrymen, on, for the day—1
The proud day of glory is come !2
See, the Tyrant’s banners in battle array3
Are raised, and he dares to strike home !4
Hark ! will you not—can you not hear5
The fast approaching alarms ?—6
They come ! ’tis to wrest from us all we hold dear,7
And slaughter our sons in our arms !8

(Chorus.)

To arms, gallant Frenchmen, to arms ! ’Tis the hour9
Of freedom ;— march on in the pride of your power,10
And fight, till the foe to your fury shall yield,11
And his life-blood dye deeply hill, valley, and field.12

II.

Say, whom do these traitors oppose ? 13
These Kings leagued together for ill ?14
Who for years have o’erwhelmed us with Tyranny’s woes,15
And are forging fresh chains for us still ?16
’Tis France they have dared to enthrall !17
’Tis France they have dared to disgrace !18
Oh, shame on us, countrymen, shame on us all,19
If we cringe to so dastard a race.20
To arms ! &c.21

III.

Tremble, a traitors, whose schemes22
Are alike by all parties abhorr’d23
Tremble ! for roused from your parricide dreams,24
Ye shall soon meet your fitting reward !25
We are soldiers—nay, conquerors all !26
Past dishonour were sworn to efface,27
And, rely on it, fast as one hero shall fall,28
Another shall rise in his place.29
To arms ! &c.30

IV.

Ye Frenchmen—the noble—the brave—31
Who can weep, e’en in war’s stern alarms,32
Spare, spare the poor helpless and penitent slave,33
Who is marshall‘d against you in arms !—34
But no pity for Bouille’s stern band,35
Who with reckless and tiger like force,36
Would fain tear to atoms their own native land,37
Without e’en a pang of remorse.38
To arms ! &c.39

V.

We will speed on our glorious career,40
When our veterans are low in the tomb,41
But their patriots deeds, when they fought with us here,42
In our memory for ever shall bloom ;43
’Twas their just—their magnanimous boast,44
’That for us they lived – battled—and died—45
And we’ll either avenge them on Tyranny’s host,46
Or be laid, to a man, by their side !47
To arms, &c.48

VI.

Freedom, dear freedom, sustain49
Our hopes of revenge for the past,50
And grant that our banner, o’er and o’er plain,51
In triumph may float to the last !52
Grant, too, that our foes may behold,53
Ere death lay his seal on their eyes,54
Our success in the patriot cause we uphold,55
And which dearer than ever we prize !56
To arms, &c.57