La Marseillaise

Welcome. No doubt you've come here to see what all the fuss is about on the 14th of July. I think you'll find all you want to know here. La Marseillaise is the national anthem of France, believed by many to be the most stirring of all anthems. Here you will find a transcription of its score, complete sound clips in various formats and a translation into English. The main attractions of this site are:

Sheet music
The full score of La Marseillaise, arranged for piano.

Audio files
The song is presented in several file formats. In addition, Hector Berlioz's orchestral arrangement and a stunning recording from Mireille Mathieu are available.

English translation
A commented English translation from myself. Returning visitors to this site are encouraged to view my notes on a section of the translation I have amended.

It doesn't stop there, however. Several other translations are also featured, including a fine translation from Jean Migrenne and Sylvère Monod. This translation was commissioned by the Caen Memorial for Peace Museum and is reproduced here with permission.

The site has existed in one form or another since 1996 and has appeared as marseillaise.org since 1999. Although updates are now infrequent, the author Iain Patterson does read and respond to emails from interested visitors, of which there have been many over the years. Thanks for visiting and enjoy your stay.

Last update: 2012-04-19: Fixed some typos spotted by David R. Pitman.

Send your comments to comments@marseillaise.org