C’est le 14 juillet…!
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L’étendard sanglant est levé, (bis)
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats ?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes !
Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons !
Qu’un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons ! »
Plus d’armes, citoyens !
Rompez vos bataillons !
Chantez, chantons,
Et que la paix
Féconde nos sillons ! »
It’s July 14th…!
On this national holiday, I feel compelled to share my dislike for the Marseillaise, which I have deeply hated since the day I learned it, around the age of 10.
Bloody and violent, it represents nothing of the values of our country… whose motto is “Liberty, equality, and fraternity” (we should really use the term “adelphity” instead of « fraternity », which would include men and women, brothers and sisters…).
At a time when the symbols of the Republic have become so important, I think it is high time to change the anthem and opt for a more unifying and peaceful song such as “La Marseillaise de la Paix” by the avant-garde educator Paul Robin. Are you familiar with it?
To enable you to compare the two songs, here is the first verse of each anthem:
CURRENT MARSEILLAISE (Rouget de Lisle – 1792)
« Come, children of the Fatherland,
The day of glory has arrived!
Against us, tyranny
Has raised its bloody banner, (repeat)
Can you hear in the countryside
The roar of those ferocious soldiers?
They are coming into your arms
To slaughter your sons and your companions!
To arms, citizens,
Form your battalions,
Let us march, let us march!
May impure blood
Water our furrows! »
MARSEILLAISE OF PEACE (Paul Robin – 1893)
« From the universal homeland
May the dreamt-of day come
Of peace, of cherished peace
The saving branch is raised (repeat)
We will hear towards the borders
The peoples reaching out to each other
Crying out: there are no more soldiers!
Let us be united, we are brothers.
No more weapons, citizens!
Break up your battalions!
Sing, let us sing,
And may peace
Fertilize our furrows! »
If you would like to read the full lyrics of the Marseillaise of Peace, click on the link at the bottom of this article. They were written to the original melody.
I dream of living to see the day when we sing it with conviction. Paul Robin was an admirable thinker with a very open mind, who already advocated for gender equality and equal opportunities for all.
Let us be united, my friends!
https://motsaiques2.blogspot.com/2013/07/p-248-la-marseillaise-de-la-paix-par.html