La Marseillaise, Mireille Mathieu

The French National Anthem sung by Mireille Mathieu in 1988 God of mercy and justice See our tyrants, judge our hearts Your goodness be with us Defend us from these oppressors (repeat) You reign in heaven and on earth And before you all must bend In your arms, come support us You, great God, lord of thunder. To arms, citizens... French people know thy glory Crowned by equality, What a triumph, what a victory, To have won Liberty! (repeat) The God who throws thunder And who commands the elements, To exterminate the tyrants Uses your arm on Earth. To arms, citizens... Of tyranny, we have Rebuffed its last efforts; It is banished from our climes; Among the French the kings are dead. (repeat) The Republic may live forever! Anathema to royalty! May this refrain, sung everywhere, Protect politics from kings. To arms, citizens... France that Europe admires Has regained liberty And every citizen breathes Under the laws of equality, (repeat) One day its beloved image Will extend throughout the universe. Peoples, you will break your chains And you will have a fatherland! To arms, citizens... Trampling on the rights of man, the soldierly legions of Rome’s first inhabitants enslaved nations. (repeat) A larger project, and wiser, Engages us in battle And the Frenchman only arms himself In order to destroy slavery. To arms, citizens... Yes! Already insolent despots And the band of emigrants Waging war on the sans-culottes [lit. without-breeches] By our weapons are withered; (repeat) Vainly their hope is based On piqued fanaticism The sign of liberty Will soon spread around the world. To arms, citizens... To you! Let glory surround Citizens, illustrious warriors, Fear in the fields of Bellona, Fear the sullying of your laurels! (repeat) To dark unfounded suspicions Towards your leaders, your generals, Never leave your flags, And you will remain invincible. To arms, citizens... (Children’s Verse) Children, let honour and fatherland be the object of all our wishes! Let us always have souls nourished With fires that might inspire both. (repeat) Let us be united! Anything is possible; Our vile enemies will fall, Then the French will cease To sing this fierce refrain: To arms, citizens...