The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book/La Marseillaise

by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle

For other English-language translations of this work, see La Marseillaise (Rouget de Lisle).

For other versions of this translation, see Ye Sons of Freedom, Wake to Glory.

5—LA MARSEILLAISE

Ye sons of France, awake to glory!
Hark! hark! what myriads bid you rise!
Your children, wives and grandsires hoary:
Behold their tears and hear their cries!
Behold their tears and hear their cries!
Shall hateful tyrants, mischief breeding
With wailing hosts a ruffian band
Affright and desolate the land
While peace and liberty lie bleeding.

Chorus:

To arms to arms ye brave!
Th' avenging sword unsheathe!
March on, march on
All hearts resolved
On victory or death.

With luxury and pride surrounded,
The vile insatiate despots dare,
Their thirst of gold and power unbounded
To mete and vend the light and air
To mete and vend the light and air
Like beasts of burden would they load us—
Like gods would bid their slaves adore—
But man is man—and who is more?
Then shall they longer lash and goad us?
To arms, etc.