Sunday, July 14, 2024

Aux barricades, mes amis !

Today is Bastille Day, the French National Day.




A version that is more familiar to American audiences:



Allons enfants de la Patrie
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L'étendard sanglant est levé
Entendez-vous dans nos campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats ?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras.
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes !

Aux armes citoyens
Formez vos bataillons
Marchons, marchons
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons

(Full translation, which makes The Star-Spangled Banner look pacifistic.)

The Bastille was torn down very soon afterwards. Very little of it survives. The key to the fortress was given by Marquis de Lafayette to President Washington. It is on display at Mount Vernon.

And next year, we may have to do this for reals.
on or about

2 comments:

  1. Sam2407/14/2024 6:05 PM

    The Marquis de Sade was transferred out of the Bastille on July 2, 1789.

    One wonders what would have happened if he had remained there two weeks longer.

    "The crowd rushed in - discovered de Sade - and rushed out as fast as they could."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brian Train7/22/2024 3:31 PM

    The Bastille Day parade is truly impressive, especially the Foreign Legion bringing up the rear with their deliberately slower marching pace.

    The one day of the year everyone wishes they were French!

    ReplyDelete

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