I have French grandparents and a French dad. France as you all know is in Europe.
Its capital is Paris. Paris is also the largest city in France. The president is
Jacques Chirac. One of the most famous French breads is called the baguette. France
has four seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn. The official language is of course
French. The national anthem is called "La Marseillaise."
Here are a few words of French:
bonjour = hello
aurevoir = goodbye
merci = thank you
bievenu = welcome
ami(e) = friend
aurevoir = goodbye
National Emblem of France
The National Anthem
(In France you will find that most people only sing the first verse and the refrain.)
Allons enfants de la Patrie
Arise, you children of the fatherland
Le jour de gloire est arrivé!
The day of glory has arrived!
Contre nous de la tyrannie
Against us, tyranny
L'étendard sanglant est levé (bis)
Has raised its bloodied banner (repeat)
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Do you hear in the fields
Mugir ces féroces soldats?
The howling of these fearsome soldiers?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras
They are coming into your midst
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes!
To slit the throats of your sons, your wives!
Aux armes, citoyens!
To arms, citizens!
Formez vos bataillons!
Form your battalions!
Marchons, marchons!
Let us march, let us march!
Qu'un sang impur
May impure blood
Abreuve nos sillons!
Soak our fields' furrows!
Que veut cette horde d'esclaves,
What does this horde of slaves,
De traîtres, de rois conjurés?
Traitors, and plotting kings want?
Pour qui ces ignobles entraves
For whom these vile chains
Ces fers dès longtemps préparés? (bis)
These long-prepared irons? (repeat)
Français, pour nous, ah! Quel outrage,
Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage,
Quels transports il doit exciter!
What fury it must arouse!
C'est nous qu'on ose méditer
It is us they dare plan
De rendre à l'antique esclavage!
To return to the old slavery!
Aux armes, citoyens...
To arms, citizens...
Quoi! Des cohortes étrangères!
What! These foreign cohorts!
Feraient la loi dans nos foyers!
They would make laws in our homes!
Quoi! Ces phalanges mercenaires
What! These mercenary phalanxes
Terrasseraient nos fiers guerriers! (bis)
Would cut down our proud warriors! (repeat)
Grand Dieu! Par des mains enchaînées
Good Lord! By chained hands
Nos fronts sous le joug se ploieraient
Our brow would yield under the yoke
De vils despotes deviendraient
The vile despots would become
Les maîtres de nos destinées!
The masters of our destinies!
Aux armes, citoyens...
To arms, citizens...
Tremblez, tyrans et vous perfides
Tremble, tyrants and traitors
L'opprobre de tous les partis
The shame of all good men
Tremblez! Vos projets parricides
Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
Vont enfin recevoir leurs prix! (bis)
Will receive their just reward! (repeat)
Tout est soldat pour vous combattre
Against you, we are all soldiers
S'ils tombent, nos jeunes héros,
If our young heroes fall,
La terre en produit de nouveaux,
The earth will bear new ones,
Contre vous tout prêts à se battre!
Ready to join the fight against you!
Aux armes, citoyens...
To arms, citizens...
Français, en guerriers magnanimes,
Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors,
Portez ou retenez vos coups!
Bear or hold back your blows!
Épargnez ces tristes victimes
Spare these sad victims
À regret s'armant contre nous (bis)
That they may regret taking up arms against us (repeat)
Mais ces despotes sanguinaires
But not these bloody despots
Mais ces complices de Bouillé
These accomplices of Bouillé
Tous ces tigres qui, sans pitié,
All these tigers who mercilessly
Déchirent le sein de leur mère!
Ripped out their mothers' breast!
Aux armes, citoyens...
To arms, citizens...
Amour sacré de la Patrie,
Sacred patriotic love,
Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs
Lead and support our avenging arms
Liberté, Liberté chérie,
Liberty, cherished liberty,
Combats avec tes défenseurs! (bis)
Fight back with your defenders! (repeat)
Sous nos drapeaux que la victoire
Under our flags, let victory
Accoure à tes mâles accents,
Hurry to your manly tone,
Que tes ennemis expirants
So that your enemies, in their last breath,
Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire!
See your triumph and our glory!
Aux armes, citoyens...
To arms, citizens...
(Couplet des enfants)
(Children's Verse)
Nous entrerons dans la carrière [3]
We shall enter the career
Quand nos aînés n'y seront plus
When our elders will no longer be there
Nous y trouverons leur poussière
There we shall find their dust
Et la trace de leurs vertus (bis)
And the mark of their virtues (repeat)
Bien moins jaloux de leur survivre
Much less jealous of surviving them
Que de partager leur cercueil,
Than of sharing their coffins,
Nous aurons le sublime orgueil
We shall have the sublime pride
De les venger ou de les suivre!
Of avenging or following them!
Aux armes, citoyens...
To arms, citizens...
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