Ye sons of freedom, wake to glory! <br />Hark! Hark! what myriads bid you rise! <br />Your children, wives, and grandsires hoary, <br />Behold their tears and hear their cries! <br />Shall hateful tyrants, mischief breeding, <br />With hireling hosts, a ruffian band, <br />Affright and desolate the land, <br />Why peace and liberty lie bleeding? <br />To arms! to arms! ye brave! <br />The avenging sword unsheathe; <br />March on! march on! all hearts resolved <br />On victory or death. <br /> <br />Now, now the dangerous storm is rolling, <br />Which treacherous kings, confederate, raise; <br />The dogs of war, let loose, are howling, <br />And lo! our fields and cities blaze; <br />And shall we basely view the ruin, <br />While lawless force, with guilty stride, <br />Spreads desolation far and wide, <br />With crimes and blood his hands imbruing? <br /> <br />With luxury and pride surrounded, <br />The vile, insdatiate despots dare, <br />Their thirst of power and gold unbounded, <br />To meet and vend the light and air; <br />Like beasts of burden would they load us, <br />Like gods would bid their slaves adore: <br />But man is man, and who is more? <br />Then, shall they longer lash and goad us? <br /> <br />Oh Liberty! can man resign thee, <br />Once having felt thy generous flame? <br />Can dungeons, bolts, or bars confine thee? <br />Or whips thy noble spirit tame? <br />Too long the world has wept, bewailing <br />That falsehood's dagger tyrants wield, <br />But freedom is our sword and shield, <br />And all their arts are unavailing. <br />To arms! to arms! ye brave! <br />The avenging sword unsheathe; <br />March on! march on! all hearts resolved <br />On victory or death.<br /><br />Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-marseillaise-2/
