Le Chant du Départ is a revolutionary song and a war anthem, written by Étienne Nicolas Méhul (for the music) and Marie-Joseph Chénier (for the lyrics) in 1794. It was the official anthem of the First Empire.
This song was called the "brother of La Marseillaise" by the Republican soldiers. It was composed on July 14, 1794. It was then presented to Robespierre, who called it "grandiose and republican poetry that goes beyond everything that this Girondin de Chénier has done."
The song was first performed by the orchestra and choirs of the Conservatory of Music on July 14, 1794. Nearly 18,000 copies were immediately printed and distributed to the 14 armies of the Republic.
Le Chant du Départ has become the official anthem of the First Empire, Napoleon preferred this anthem to La Marseillaise. The original title of Le Chant du Départ is "Hymne à la liberté" (the name was changed by Robespierre).
It is a musical picture:in each of the seven stanzas the hymn is sung by an individual or groups of different individuals.
In the first verse it is for example a deputy who speaks to soldiers, he encourages them to fight to defend the Republic. In the second verse it is about a mother who gives her son to the fatherland. In the fourth verse it is a child who sings Joseph Bara and Joseph Agricol Viala, two young French people (12 and 13 years old) who died for the Republic. While he was surrounded by Vendeans who asked him to shout "Vive Louis XVII"; Bara refused and shouted:"Vive la République", a cry for which he was executed on the spot. As for Viala, he died struck by a bullet while trying to cut the ropes of an enemy pontoon. His last words were:"I'm dying, but it's for Freedom".
The song survived the Revolution and the First Empire. Today it is still sung by the French army. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing made it his campaign song during the 1974 presidential election; President of the Republic, he often had it played for the troops during official ceremonies, with La Marseillaise. This is a classic example of a warrior song.
Lyrics
A People's Deputy
Victory by singing
Opens the barrier for us.
Freedom guides our steps.
And from North to South
The War Trumpet
Has sounded the hour of the fights.
Tremble enemies of France
Kings drunk with blood and pride.
The Sovereign People advances,
Tyrants descend to the coffin.
The Republic calls us
Know how to conquer or know how to perish
A Frenchman must live for her
For her a Frenchman must die.
Song of the Warriors (Chorus)
The Republic calls us
Know how to conquer or know how to perish
A Frenchman must live for her
For her a Frenchman must die.
A mother
From our maternal eyes do not be afraid of tears:
Far be it from cowardly pain!
We must triumph when you take up arms:
It's up to kings to shed tears.
We gave you life,
Warriors, she is no longer yours;
All your days are at home :
She is your mother before us.
(Chorus)
Two old men
May the paternal iron arm the hand of the brave;
Think of us at the Champ de Mars;
Consecrate in the blood of kings and slaves
The iron blessed by your elders;
And, bringing back under the cottage
Wounds and virtues,
Come close our eyelid
When the tyrants are no more.
(Chorus)
A child
From Barra, from Viala fate makes us envious;
They died, but they won.
The coward overwhelmed with years has not known life:
Who dies for the people lived.
You are brave, we are:
Guide us against tyrants;
Republicans are men,
Slaves are children.
(Chorus)
A wife
Depart, valiant spouses; fights are your parties;
Go, models of warriors;
We'll pick flowers to put on your heads:
Our hands will weave your laurels.
And, if the temple of memory
Opened to your victorious spirits,
Our voices will sing your glory,
Our flanks will carry your avengers.
(Chorus)
A young girl
And we, sisters of heroes, we who of marriage
Ignore the friendly knots;
If, to unite one day with our destiny,
Citizens form wishes,
May they return to our walls
Beautiful of glory and freedom,
And that their blood, in battles,
Sunk for equality.
(Chorus)
Three Warriors
On iron before God we swear to our fathers,
To our wives, to our sisters,
To our representatives, to our sons, to our mothers,
To annihilate the oppressors:
Everywhere, in the deep night,
Plunging infamous royalty,
The French will give to the world
And peace and freedom.
(Chorus)