Chant du départ

"**The Song of Departure**" is a revolutionary war song composed by Étienne Méhul and written by Marie-Joseph Chénier in 1794. It was the official anthem of the French Empire, and it is currently the unofficial regional anthem of French Guiana and the presidential anthem of France.

The song was nicknamed "the brother of the Marseillaise" by Republican soldiers.

The song was first performed on 14 July 1794. 18,000 copies of the music sheets were immediately printed and distributed to the army. Its original title was "Anthem to Liberty"; it was changed to its present title by Robespierre.

The song is a musical tableau: each of the seven stanzas is sung by a different character or group of characters:

* The first stanza is the discourse of a deputy cheering his soldiers and encouraging them for the fight for the Republic.
* The second stanza is the song of a mother offering the life of her son to the fatherland.
* The fourth stanza is sung by children exalting Joseph Agricol Viala and Joseph Bara, children aged 12 and 13, respectively, who had died for Revolutionary France. According to legend, Bara was surrounded by royalist Vendeans, when he was ordered to shout "Long live Louis XVII"; he shouted "Long live the Republic" instead and was executed on the spot. Viala was killed by a bullet as he was trying to sabotage an enemy bridge. His last words were "I die, but I die for the Republic."

The song is still in the repertoire of the French Army. It was sung during World War I. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing used it as his campaign song for the presidential election of 1974; as a president, he often had it played by troops along with the "Marseillaise".

## Lyrics

### French original

La victoire en chantant

Nous ouvre la barrière.

La Liberté guide nos pas.

Et du Nord au Midi

La trompette guerrière

A sonné l'heure des combats.

Tremblez ennemis de la France

Rois ivres de sang et d'orgueil.

Le Peuple souverain s'avance,

Tyrans descendez au cercueil.

**Refren:**

La République nous appelle

Sachons vaincre ou sachons périr

Un Français doit vivre pour elle

Pour elle un Français doit mourir.

De nos yeux maternels ne craignez pas les larmes :

Loin de nous de lâches douleurs !

Nous devons triompher quand vous prenez les armes :

C'est aux rois à verser des pleurs.

Nous vous avons donné la vie,

Guerriers, elle n'est plus à vous ;

Tous vos jours sont à la patrie :

Elle est votre mère avant nous.

***Refren***

Que le fer paternel arme la main des braves ;

Songez à nous au champ de Mars ;

Consacrez dans le sang des rois et des esclaves

Le fer béni par vos vieillards ;

Et, rapportant sous la chaumière

Des blessures et des vertus,

Venez fermer notre paupière

Quand les tyrans ne seront plus.

***Refren***

De Barra, de Viala le sort nous fait envie ;

Ils sont morts, mais ils ont vaincu.

Le lâche accablé d'ans n'a point connu la vie :

Qui meurt pour le peuple a vécu.

Vous êtes vaillants, nous le sommes :

Guidez-nous contre les tyrans ;

Les républicains sont des hommes,

Les esclaves sont des enfants.

***Refren***

Partez, vaillants époux ; les combats sont vos fêtes ;

Partez, modèles des guerriers ;

Nous cueillerons des fleurs pour en ceindre vos têtes :

Nos mains tresserons vos lauriers.

Et, si le temple de mémoire

S'ouvrait à vos mânes vainqueurs,

Nos voix chanteront votre gloire,

Nos flancs porteront vos vengeurs.

 ***Refren***

Et nous, sœurs des héros, nous qui de l'hyménée

Ignorons les aimables nœuds ;

Si, pour s'unir un jour à notre destinée,

Les citoyens forment des vœux,

Qu'ils reviennent dans nos murailles

Beaux de gloire et de liberté,

Et que leur sang, dans les batailles,

Ait coulé pour l'égalité.

***Refren***

Sur le fer devant Dieu, nous jurons à nos pères,

À nos épouses, à nos sœurs,

À nos représentants, à nos fils, à nos mères,

D'anéantir les oppresseurs :

En tous lieux, dans la nuit profonde,

Plongeant l'infâme royauté,

Les Français donneront au monde

Et la paix et la liberté.

***Refren***

### English translate

The victory of singing opened the door for us.

Freedom guides our steps.

From north to south, the horn of the warrior

It's time to fight.

Trembling enemies of France

A king intoxicated with blood and pride.

Sovereign people come forward,

The tyrants descended to the coffin.

**Chorus:**

The Republic is calling us

Let us conquer or perish

A Frenchman must live for her

For her, a Frenchman must die.

From our motherly eyes, don't be afraid of tears:

Away from our cowardly pain!

When you take up arms, we must win:

Make the king cry.

We gave you life,

Warriors, she is no longer yours;

All your days are in your motherland:

She's your mother before us.

***Chorus***

Let the father's iron arm the warrior's hand;

Think of us in Ares Square;

Dedicated with the blood of kings and slaves

Iron blessed by your old man;

Also, report under the thatched cottage

Trauma and virtue,

To close our eyelids

When tyrants cease to exist.

***Chorus***

From Bala, from Viala, fate makes us envy;

They died, but they won.

Old cowards have never seen life:

Those who died for the people are still alive.

You are brave, and so are we.

Guide us against tyrants;

Republicans are men,

Slaves are children.

***Chorus***

Go, brave husband; Fighting is your holiday;

Go, example of warriors;

We will gather flowers and bouquets on your head:

Our hands will weave your crown.

And if the Temple of Memory

Open your heart to your winner,

Our voices will sing of thy glory,

Our flanks will carry your Avengers.

***Chorus***

We, sisters of heroes, sisters of Virgo,

Let's ignore the lovely knot;

If one day, in order to join our destiny,

The public took an oath,

Let them go back to our walls

Beautiful glory and freedom,

Their blood, in battle,

Sink for equality.

***Chorus***

We swear to our fathers on iron before God.

To our wives, our sisters,

Our representatives, our sons, our mothers,

Eliminate oppressors:

Anywhere, in the middle of the night,

Put the notorious royal family in trouble,

The French will give the world

Peace and freedom.

***Chorus***