Chant du départ

"Le Chant du départ" (The Song of Departure) is a revolutionary and war song written by Étienne Méhul (music) and Marie-Joseph Chénier (words) in 1794. It was the official anthem of the French Empire, and it is currently the unofficial regional anthem of French Guiana and the presidential anthem of France. The song was nicknamed "the brother of the Marseillaise" by Republican soldiers. The song was first performed on 14 July 1794. 18,000 copies of the music sheets were immediately printed and distributed to the army. Its original title was "Anthem to Liberty"; it was changed to its present title by Robespierre. The song is a musical tableau: each of the seven stanzas is sung by a different character or group of characters: The first stanza is the discourse of a deputy cheering his soldiers and encouraging them for the fight for the Republic. The second stanza is the song of a mother offering the life of her son to the fatherland. The fourth stanza is sung by children exalting Joseph Agricol Viala and Joseph Bara, children aged 15 and 13, respectively, who had died for Revolutionary France. According to legend, Bara was surrounded by royalist Vendeans, when he was ordered to shout "Long live Louis XVII"; he shouted "Long live the Republic" instead and was executed on the spot. Viala was killed by a bullet as he was trying to sabotage an enemy bridge. His last words were "I die, but I die for the Republic." The song is still in the repertoire of the French Army. It was sung during World War I. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing used it as his campaign song for the presidential election of 1974; as a president, he often had it played by troops along with the "Marseillaise". Un député du Peuple

1. La victoire en chantant Nous ouvre la barrière. La Liberté guide nos pas. Et du Nord au Midi La trompette guerrière A sonné l'heure des combats. Tremblez ennemis de la France Rois ivres de sang et d'orgueil. Le Peuple souverain s'avance, Tyrans descendez au cercueil.