La Marseillaise is the national anthem of France. The song was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by France against Austria, and was originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" ("War Song for the Rhine Army"). In the bilingual article below, you'll learn the "short" version of La Marseillaise - i.e. first stanza and chorus - that French people know and sing at sports events, on Bastille Day,... And to guide you in your singing, we picked none other than French icon Mireille Mathieu's glorious voice.
After listening to the song, scroll down for the transcript in our bilingual reader, where you can click any French phrase for the English translation and related grammar lessons.
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Answer in English: we're testing your understanding of the text, not your grammar or expression, so nothing you write here will be marked for accuracy. To get feedback on how you write, try one of our writing exercises.
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