Un martes como hoy, hace exactamente 220 años arrancaba el mundo occidental moderno, con la toma de la Bastilla. Recuerdo de pendejo, en pleno 80´s, haber vivido el bicenternario de la Revolución Francesa en el colegio… y fue bastante flashero. A diferencia de lo que parece que va a suceder acá, que no parece haber demasiado programado, el bicentenario en aquella época fue un fiestón.
Sin embargo, no es sino un par de años más tarde, que en plena batalla con Austria, se crea la Marsellesa, o como la llamaron originalmente, El canto de guerra de las armadas de frontera. Seis años más tarde en 1975, la Marsellesa es declarada el himno nacional francés… a mi parecer es el himno de himnos… realmente te puede llegar a poner la piel de gallina…
Aca va la letra en inglés
Arise children of the fatherland
The day of glory has arrived
Against us tyranny’s
Bloody standard is raised
Listen to the sound in the fields
The howling of these fearsome soldiers
They are coming into our midst
To cut the throats of your sons and consorts
To arms citizens Form your battalions
March, march
Let impure blood
Water our furrows
What do they want this horde of slaves
Of traitors and conspiratorial kings?
For whom these vile chains
These long-prepared irons?
Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage
What methods must be taken?
It is us they dare plan
To return to the old slavery!
What! These foreign cohorts!
They would make laws in our courts!
What! These mercenary phalanxes
Would cut down our warrior sons
Good Lord! By chained hands
Our brow would yield under the yoke
The vile despots would have themselves be
The masters of destiny
Tremble, tyrants and traitors
The shame of all good men
Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
Will receive their just reward
Against you we are all soldiers
If they fall, our young heros
France will bear new ones
Ready to join the fight against you
Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors
Bear or hold back your blows
Spare these sad victims
That they regret taking up arms against us
But not these bloody despots
These accomplices of Bouillé
All these tigers who pitilessly
Ripped out their mothers’ wombs
We too shall enlist
When our elders’ time has come
To add to the list of deeds
Inscribed upon their tombs
We are much less jealous of surviving them
Than of sharing their coffins
We shall have the sublime pride
Of avenging or joining them
Drive on sacred patriotism
Support our avenging arms
Liberty, cherished liberty
Join the struggle with your defenders
Under our flags, let victory
Hurry to your manly tone
So that in death your enemies
See your triumph and our glory!
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No es por nada que los Beatles, incluyen las primeras notas del himno en su propio himno al amor…
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love love love
mh