The song was inspired by Napoleon I's campaign in Egypt and Syria. It represents a chivalric composition of the aspirations of a crusader knight in a style typical of the First French Empire. Hortense (Napoleon I's stepdaughter and the mother of Napoleon III) indicated in her "Memoires" that she wrote the music when she lived at Malmaison. During its popularity in the 19th century, the song was arranged for numerous instruments by various composers.