The National Anthem of Croatia

The National anthem of Croatia is Lijepa naša domovino (Our Beautiful Homeland). The lyrics to the anthem by Antun Mihanovic, were first printed in Danica (The Morning Star) magazine in 1835, under the title "Hrvatska domovina" ("Croatian Homeland"). The music was composed later (1840s) by Josip Runjanin, a Croatian Serb, on the basis of Donizetti's "O sole piu ratto" from the opera "Lucia di Lammermoor". Later, in 1861, the score went through some minor changes done by V. Lichtenegger. In 1891 the song was first sung as the unofficial national anthem at an exhibition held by the Croatian-Slavonian Economic Society in Zagreb. (Croatia, still being part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had that nation's anthem as its official one.) It remained unofficial until February 29, 1972, when the first amendment to the Croatian Constitution declared it official (despite being part of Yugoslavia at the time) with a slight change in the lyrics upon 1990 independence.

Antun Mihanović (1796-1861) was a notable Croatian poet and lyricist, most famous for writing the national anthem of Croatia. Klanjec, his birthplace, holds a monument to him and a gallery of his works.

Mihanović studied law and worked as a military judge. After engaging in diplomacy, he was the Austrian consul in Belgrade, Thessaloniki, Smyrna, Istanbul and Bucharest. He retired in 1858 as a minister counselor, and lived in Novi Dvori until his death.

The poem which would become the Croatian anthem was Horvatska domovina. It was first published in the cultural magazine Danica ilirska, No. 10, edited by Ljudevit Gaj, in 1835. The anthem itself would become known as Lijepa naša (Our Beautiful ), since those are the first two words of the poem.

Mihanović also wrote a small but important book, Rěč domovini o hasnovitosti pisanja vu domorodnom jeziku (A Word to the Homeland about the Benefits from Writing in Mother Tongue), published in Vienna in 1815. The ideas in this book became one of the foundations of the Illyrian Movement.

The Romanian Anthem Composer and Lyricist

During the fall of the Communist government in the last days of 1989, the popular song "Desteaptate, romane" (Wake up Romanian) was prevalent in the streets and quickly became a kind of "second anthem"; it was officially declared as the anthem in April, 1990, and was also used for a time by Moldova. Written during the 1848 revolution, it has been used by Romanians in their many struggles for freedom, such as from the Nazis in 1944, and during the end of communism, thus becoming the logical choice as a new anthem. The original work by Andrei Muresanu has eleven verses, but only four (verses 1, 2, 4, and 11) are the official lyrics. The composer was Anton Pann.

Anton Pann born Pantoleon-Petroveanu, and also mentioned as Anton Pantoleonor Petrovici; 1790s—November 2, 1854), was an Ottoman-born Wallachian composer, musicologist, and Romanian-language poet, also noted for his activities as a printer, translator, and schoolteacher. Pann was an influential folklorist and collector of proverbs, as well as a lexicographer and textbook author.

Andrei Mureşianu (November 16, 1816, Bistriţa - October 12, 1863, Braşov) was a Romanian poet and revolutionary of Transylvania (then in the Habsburg Monarchy). Born to a family of peasants, he studied philosophy and theology in Blaj. Starting in 1838, Mureşianu was a professor at Braşov. He published his first poetry in the magazine Foaia pentru Minte, Inimă şi Literatură.

He was one of the figures of the 1848 revolution in Transylvania, taking part in the Braşov delegation to the Blaj Assembly in May 1848. His poem Deşteaptă-te, române!, sang to a popular tune chosen by him and Gheorghe Ucenescu, became the hymn of the revolutionaries. Nicolae Bălcescu named it "La Marseillaise of Romanians" for its ability to mobilize the people to fight. The poem became the national anthem of Romania in 1989. After the revolution, Mureşianu worked as a translator in Sibiu, had some patriotical works published in the Telegraful Român magazine. In 1862, his poetry was gathered in a single volume.

The National Anthem of Moldova

This neighbour of Romania, with which also shares a language (called "Romanian" in Romania and "Moldovan" in Moldova), and once proposed to reintegrate with that nation, also used the Romanian anthem for the first few years after its 1991 independence from the Soviet Union. Its new anthem, "Limba Noastra" (Our Tongue) was adopted in 1994. Originally a 12 verse poem, only stanzas 1, 2, 5, 9, and 12 make up the present-day anthem. The music was composed by Alexandru Cristi and the lyrics by Alexei Mateevici.

Alexe (or Alexei) Mateevici (March 27, 1888-August 24, 1917) was a Romanian poet. He was born in the town Căinari, in Eastern Bessarabia, which was part of the Russian Empire, now in the Republic of Moldova. He studied at the theological school of Chişinău, and published his first poems (Ţăranii (Peasants), Eu cânt (I sing), Ţara (The Country) in the newspaper Basarabia, where he also published two articles on Moldavian folklore. Mateevici later published several articles on religion in Moldavia.

Mateevici went on to study at the Theological Academy of Kiev, from which he graduated in 1914. In that year he married Teodora Borisovna Novitski. He returned to Chişinău, and became a Greek language teacher at the theological school. Mateevici was a strong supporter of the Romanian identity of the native population of Bessarabia.

In the summer of 1917 Mateevici wrote several poems including Văd prăbuşirea, Cântec de leagăn (Cradle Song), Basarabenilor, Frunza nucului, Unora. On July 17, he wrote the poem Limba noastră (Our Language), today the national anthem of the Republic of Moldova. Less than a month later he died of epidemic typhus.

The picture above is a First day cover of the anthem lyricist to commemorate his 120th birth anniversary. This was issued by Moldova in 2008.

The National Anthem of Albania

Back when Albania first gained independence as a monarchy in 1912 from Italy, "Hymni i Flamurit" was adopted, and has been kept as the anthem through it's period as a Communist/Marxist state and now as a democratic nation. The original title of the hymn was "Betimi mi flamur," or "Pledge to the Flag." The hymn was first published as a poem in Liri e Shqipërisë (Freedom of Albania), an Albanian newspaper in Sofia, Bulgaria, in its issue of 21 April 1912. Later that year it appeared in a volume of collected poems by Aleksander Stavre Drenova, under the title ëndra e lot (Dreams and Tears), which was published in Bucharest. The official anthem is two verses shorter than the original poem. The music was composed by the same person (a Romanian) who wrote the Romanian anthem in use from 1977-1990, Ciprian Porumbescu.

Ciprian Porumbescu born Cyprian Gołęmbiowski on October 14, 1853 – June 6, 1883) was a Romanian composer born in Şipotele Sucevei in Bukovina (now Shepit, Putyla Raion, Ukraine). He was among the most celebrated Romanian composers of his time; his popular works include Crai nou, Trei culori, Song for the 1st of May, Ballad for violin and piano, and Serenada. In addition, he composed the music for Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire, which was used for Albania's national anthem, Hymni i Flamurit. His work spreads over various forms and musical genres, but the majority of his work is choral and operetta.

The stamp above issued in 2008 features Ciprian Porumbescu. It is one in a group of four stamps of famous people issued in Moldova.

The Isle of Man National Anthem

The National Anthem of the Isle of Man, known in Manx as Arrane Ashoonagh dy Vannin, was written and composed by William Henry Gill (1839-1923), with the Manx translation by John J. Kneen (1873-1939). The anthem is sung to an adaptation of the traditional Manx melody of Mylecharaine's March and its English title is normally O Land of Our Birth.

First performed at the Manx Music Festival on Thursday 21 March 1907, there are eight verses in total, but the first and last verses are those usually sung. The anthem was given official status by the Isle of Man's legislature Tynwald at a sitting on 22 January 2003, with God Save the Queen, being designated as the Royal Anthem. The National Anthem is used on official and ceremonial occasions and in schools, the Royal Anthem is normally reserved for use additionally on those occasions when the Sovereign, members of the Royal Family or the Lieutenant Governor are present.

William Henry Gill (24 October 1839 - 27 June 1923) a Manx musical scholar was born at Marsala, Sicily to Manx parents, and he was educated at King William's College. He lived in London most of his life but remained interested in his roots. The anthem is a traditional Manx ballad. Gill's words were published as "Eaisht oo as lash-tyn" ("Listen and Hear") in Manx National Songs in 1896, "The Manx Fisherman's Evening Hymn" and "Peel Castle. Gill also published A Manx Wedding and Other Songs.

John Joseph Kneen (12 September 1873 – 21 November 1938) was a British linguist specializing in Manx who translated the Isle of Man National Anthem, "Arrane Ashoonagh Dy Vannin," into Manx. Kneen was born in Douglas, Isle of Man. He studied Manx and became interested in its preservation. In 1910 Kneen completed A Grammar of the Manx Language. He also published a multi-volume list of place names in each sheading. His work earned him a Master of Arts from University of Liverpool in 1929. He was later bestowed a Knighthood of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olaf in 1933 by King Haakon of Norway.

Above is a first day cover showing the composer William Henry Gill, issued on April 24, 1985. Below is Gill with the score of the anthem.

The 200th Birth Anniversary of Frederic Chopin- The Poet of the Piano

Frédéric François Chopin, 1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of French-Polish parentage. He was one of the great masters of Romantic music.

Chopin was born in the Napoleonic Duchy of Warsaw to a French-expatriate father and Polish mother, and was a child-prodigy pianist and composer. Following the Russian suppression of the Polish November 1830 Uprising, Chopin settled in France as part of the Polish Great Emigration. In Paris he supported himself as a composer and piano teacher, giving few public performances. After romantic involvements with several Polish women, from 1837 to 1847 he carried on a relationship with the French novelist Amantine Aurore Lucie Dupin, baronne Dudevant, better known by her pseudonym, George Sand. For the greater part of his life Chopin suffered from poor health; he died in Paris, aged 39, of pulmonary tuberculosis.

The great majority of Chopin's compositions were written for the piano as solo instrument; all his extant works feature the piano in one way or another. They are technically demanding but emphasize nuance and expressive depth. Chopin invented musical forms such as the instrumental ballade and made major innovations to the piano sonata, mazurka, waltz, nocturne, polonaise, etude, impromptu and prelude.

Chopin's father was Nicolas Chopin, a Frenchman from Lorraine who had emigrated to Poland in 1787 at the age of sixteen and had served in Poland's National Guard during the Kościuszko Uprising. In France he had been baptized Nicolas but later, living in Poland, he used the Polish form of his given name, Mikołaj. He subsequently tutored children of the aristocracy, including the Skarbeks, whose poorer relative, Justyna Krzyżanowska, he married. The wedding took place at the 16th-century parish church in Brochów on 2 June 1806. (Justyna's brother would become the father of American Union General Włodzimierz Krzyżanowski.

Frédéric Chopin was the couple's second child and only son. He was born at Żelazowa Wola, forty-six kilometers west of Warsaw, in what was then the Duchy of Warsaw. The parish record of the baptism (discovered in 1892) gives 22 February 1810 as his date of birth, b t 1 March was the date on which the composer and his close family celebrated his birthday; and, according to Chopin himself in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Polish Literary Society in Paris on 16 January 1833, he was "born 1 March 1810 at the village of Żelazowa Wola in the Province of Mazovia." He was baptized on Easter Sunday, 23 April 1810, in the same church in Brochów where his parents had married. The parish register cites his given names in the Latin form Fridericus Franciscus; in Polish he was called Fryderyk Franciszek.

In October 1810, when Chopin was seven months old, the family moved to Warsaw as his father had accepted an offer from the celebrated lexicographer Samuel Linde, to teach French at the Warsaw Lyceum. The school was housed in the Saxon Palace, and the Chopin family lived on the palace grounds. In 1817 Grand Duke Constantine requisitioned the Saxon Palace for military purposes, and the Lyceum was moved to the Kazimierz Palace, which also hosted the newly founded Warsaw University. The family lived in a spacious second-floor apartment in an adjacent building. Fryderyk Chopin attended the Warsaw Lyceum from 1823 to 1826.

The Polish spirit, culture and language pervaded the Chopins' home, and as a result the son would never, even in Paris, perfectly master the French language. Louis Énault, a biographer, borrowed George Sand's phrase to describe Chopin as being "more Polish than Poland".

Others in Chopin's family were musically inclined. Chopin's father played the flute and violin; his mother played the piano and gave lessons to boys in the elite boarding house that the Chopins maintained. As a result Fryderyk became conversant with music in its various forms at an early age.

Józef Sikorski, a musician and Chopin's contemporary, recalls in his Memoirs about Chopin (Wspomnienie Chopina) that, as a child, Chopin wept with emotion when his mother played the piano. By six, he was already trying to reproduce what he heard or to make up new melodies. He received his earliest piano lessons not from his mother but from his older sister Ludwika (in English, "Louise").

In 2010, we celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth through a number of important artistic events addressed to everybody, not just classical music lovers.In Poland and many countries around the world, a comprehensive programme of musical events has been scheduled throughout 2010. For calendar of events, visit http://chopin2010.pl/en/

Several countries issued stamps to commemorate the 200th birth anniversary of the famous composer and pianist. Some of these countries featured here include Portugal, Moldova, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Vietnam, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Chad and Macedonia.

200th Birth Anniversary of Hungarian Composer Ferenc Erkel on Stamps

Ferenc Erkel (November 7, 1810 – June 15, 1893) was a Hungarian composer, conductor and pianist. He was the father of Hungarian grand opera, written mainly on historical themes, which are still often performed in Hungary. He also composed the music of "Himnusz", the national anthem of Hungary, which was adopted in 1844.

Erkel was born in Gyula, a son of Joseph Erkel who was a musician. The libretto of his first four operas were written by Béni Egressy. Beside his operas, for which he is best known, he wrote pieces for piano and chorus, and a majestic Festival Overture. He acquainted Hector Berlioz with the tune of the Rákóczi March, which Berlioz used in The Damnation of Faust.

He headed the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra (founded in 1853). He was also the director and piano teacher of the Hungarian Academy of Music until 1886. The Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest was opened in 1884, of which he was the musical director.

In 1839, he married Adél Adler, and they had four sons - Gyula (July 4, 1842, Pest – March 22, 1909, Újpest), Elek (November 2, 1843, Pest – June 10, 1893, Budapest), László (April 9, 1844, Pest – December 3, 1896, Bratislava) and Sándor (January 2, 1846, Pest – October 14, 1900, Békéscsaba) - who participated in the composing of his later operas. Erkel was an internationally acknowledged chess player as well, and a founder of Pesti Sakk-kör (Budapest Chess Club). He died in Budapest. A department of the Opera House was established in 1911 in Budapest which also performs operas, named Erkel Színház (Erkel Theatre) since 1953.

The stamps above are miniature sheets commemorating the 200th birth anniversary (1810-2010) of the famous Hungarian composer. One features him composing and the other his piano.

The National Anthem of Hungary

"Himnusz" (Hymn) – a song beginning with the words Isten, áldd meg a magyart (God, bless the Hungarian) – is a musical poetic prayer that serves as the official National anthem of Hungary. It was adopted in 1844 and the first stanza is sung at official ceremonies. The words were written by Ferenc Kölcsey, a nationally renowned poet in 1823, and its currently official musical setting was composed by the romantic composer Ferenc Erkel, although other less-known musical versions exist. The poem bore the subtitle "A magyar nép zivataros századaiból" ("From the rough centuries of the Hungarian people"); it is often argued that this subtitle – by emphasizing past rather than contemporary national troubles – was added expressly to enable the poem to pass Habsburg censorship. The full meaning of the poem's text is evident only to those well acquainted with Hungarian history.

The poem and song titled "Szózat", which starts with the words Hazádnak rendületlenül légy híve, óh magyar (To your homeland be faithful steadfastly, O Hungarian) enjoys a social status nearly equal to that of "Himnusz", even though only "Himnusz" is mentioned in the Constitution of Hungary. Traditionally, Himnusz is sung at the beginning of ceremonies, and Szózat at the end (although the Himnusz, resembling a Protestant Chorale, is substantially easier to sing than the difficult rhythm of the Szózat, which is often only played from recording).

Recognition is also given to the Rákóczi March, a short wordless piece (composer unknown, but sometimes attributed to János Bihari) which is often used on state military occasions; and the poem Nemzeti dal written by Sándor Petőfi.

The public radio station Kossuth Rádió plays Himnusz at ten minutes past midnight each day at the close of transmissions in the AM band, as do the state TV channels at the end of the day's broadcasts. Himnusz is also traditionally played on Hungarian television at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. Even in private homes, people will stand and sing along at that time.

Another popular song is the Székely Himnusz (Szekler Hymn), an unofficial national anthem of the Hungarian-speaking Szeklers living in Eastern Transylvania (now part of Romania) and in the rest of the world. The words of the Hungarian anthem are unusual in expressing a direct plea to God rather than proclaiming national pride, the norm for the genre. This reference to God meant that during the period of strongest communist rule in Hungary (1949–1956), the anthem was played but the words were never sung. Party Secretary Mátyás Rákosi even asked poet Gyula Illyés and composer Zoltán Kodály, two of the nation's most acclaimed artists at the time, to write a new, communist-themed national anthem. Both, however, refused. Following the collapse of the attempted Revolution of 1956, the new communist leader János Kádár tried unsuccessfully to replace Himnusz with Szózat as the national anthem.

Stamps of La Marseillaise from other Countries

Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle wrote "La Marseillaise" in Strasbourg on 25 April 1792. Its original name was "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" ("War Song for the Army of the Rhine") and it was dedicated to Marshal Nicolas Luckner, a Bavarian-born French officer from Cham. It became the rallying call of the French Revolution and received its name because it was first sung on the streets by volunteers (fédérés) from Marseille upon their entry into Paris on 30 July 1792 after a young volunteer from Montpellier called François Mireur had sung it at a patriotic gathering in Marseille and the troops adopted it as the marching song of the National Guard of Marseille. A newly graduated medical doctor, Mireur later became a general under Napoléon Bonaparte and died in Egypt at 28.

The song's lyrics reflect the invasion of France by foreign armies (from Prussia and Austria) which was ongoing when it was written; Strasbourg itself was attacked just a few days later. The invading forces were repulsed from France following their defeat in the Battle of Valmy.

"La Marseillaise" was adopted as its anthem by the Paris Commune in 1871. The Convention accepted it as the French national anthem in a decree passed on 14 July 1795, making it France's first; but it was then banned successively by Napoleon I, Louis XVIII, and Napoleon III, only being reinstated briefly after the July Revolution of 1830. During Napoleon I's reign Veillons au Salut de l'Empire was the unofficial anthem of the regime and during Napoleon III's reign Partant pour la Syrie. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries "La Marseillaise" was recognised as the anthem of the international revolutionary movement and in 1871, it was adopted by the Paris Commune. Eight years later in 1879, it was restored as France's national anthem, and has remained so ever since.

Several countries features La Marseillaise in their stamps. Some of them are featured here- from Cuba, Nicaragua, Guinea Bissau and Germany. The cover below is from Strasbourg- with a special cancel on the Bicentenary of La Marseillase (1989-1989).

The National Anthem of Madagascar

Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic), is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth-largest island in the world.

Archaeologists generally say Madagascar was first inhabited sometime 300BC - 500AD, by Austronesian peoples who arrived on outrigger canoes. Since, there have been many Bantu and Arab influences and population inter-mixture. Madagascar was ruled by the local Merina kingdom in the 19th century and was part of the French colonial empire from 1890 to 1960, when the current Republic of Madagascar became independent.

The local language spoken by the majority of the population Malagasy is an Austronesian language and one of the official languages. The other official languages are French, official since independence, and English, official since 2007.

The main religions are Malagasy mythology and Christianity but there also minorities of other religions, most significantly Islam.

Madagascar is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to Madagascar. They include the lemur infra-order of primates, the carnivorous fossil, three bird families and six baobab species.

The national anthem of Madagascar is "Ry Tanindraza nay malala ô" (Oh, Our Beloved Fatherland). The music of the national anthem was composed by Norbert Raharisoa (1914-1963) a music teacher and professor. The words were written by Pasteur Rahajason, a priest. It was first performed in the public when Madagascar was declared an autonomous republic within the Union Francaise. The music is in marching tempo and is often played by Malagasy musicians on accordion. The parliament officially adopted the anthem on April 27,1959. Therefore Madagascar already had a national anthem when it achieved full independence on 26th June 1960.

The stamp above features the composer of the National anthem Norbert Raharisoa on the piano. This first day cover was issued in March 23, 1967. Below is a signed proof of the stamp of the people of Madagascar singing their anthem.

The Marshall Islands National Anthem

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. This nation of roughly 62,000 people is located north of Nauru and Kiribati, east of the Federated States of Micronesia, and south of the U.S. territory of Wake Island, to which it lays claim. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the United States.

The National anthem of Marshall Islands was written and composed by Amata Kabua (November 17, 1928 – 20 December 1996. He was the first President of the Marshall Islands from 1979 to 1996 (five consecutive terms). Kabua is the son of a Japanese businessman and a Marshallese mother, who was the daughter of a paramount chieftain. He was grew up on Ebadon Island on the Kwajalein atoll. He began his career as a school teacher before becoming chief of Majuro and Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands, and later president of the Marshall Islands. He had been a principal participant in the negotiations to gain independence for the Marshall Islands. He died while president, but after a long illness, in Hawaii.

The stamp above featured Amata Kabua and three other Marshall Island personalities (Chester W. Nimitz, Traditional Iroij and Trygve H. Lie) on the 5th Anniversary of its Constitution (1979-1984)

France's 'La Marseillaise"

"La Marseillaise" was written and composed by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle, captain in the Engineering corps garrisoned in Strasbourg during the night of 24 to 25 April 1792 at the behest of the city's mayor, Baron de Dietrich. The song, originally entitled Hymne de Guerre Dédié au Maréchal de Luckner, became known as Chant de Guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin when it was adopted as the marching song of the National Guard of Marseille. The Marseille troops were singing it as they entered Paris on 30 July 1792, and the Parisians dubbed it the Marseillaise.

During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, "La Marseillaise" was also known as the anthem of the international revolutionary movement. In 1871, it was the anthem of the Paris Commune, and many later anarchists took inspiration from the Commune. After the fall of the Czarist government in Russia, when Communism was just starting to be set up, the melody of "La Marseillaise" was adopted as the anthem (with different words), until "The Internationale" gained more popularity, and started to replace "La Marseillaise" as the anthem of leftist revolutionaries.

Under the First Republic, "La Marseillaise" was one of the civic songs that contributed to the success of the Revolution, and thus was given official status (along with Chœur de la Liberté", with words by Voltaire). However, it has not been continuously used since the Revolution; both Empires, the Restoration and the Second Republic passed over it in favour of occasional songs. (From 1799-1815, under Napoléon I, there was no real national anthem.) During these times, however, "La Marseillaise" still remained quite popular with the people, especially the republicans, these other anthems were created in an attempt to quell the popularity of "La Marseillaise".

Not until the Third Republic was the Marseillaise restored to its rank of national anthem on all occasions at which military bands were called upon to play an official air. After the fall of the the Third Republic and the occupation of northern France by Germany, the Marseillaise remained the official anthem of both the Vichy government (the Nazi puppet state set up in unoccupied southern France) and the Free France forces, who were against the Vichy government and sought its removal. Both factions also had unofficial anthems in popular use as well, the Vichy government used a song dating from 1847 entitled "Maréchal, nous voilà!" (written and composed by André Montagard and co-composer Charles Courtious), and the Free French Le Chant des Partisans composed by Anna Marly (music) and French words by Maurice Druon and Joseph Kessel, customarily sung as the anthem. At last the Marseillaise was made the official national anthem by the constitutions of the Fourth and Fifth Republics (Article 2 of the Constitution of 4 October 1958). In 1974, President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing had it modified in accordance with earlier scores and slowed the tempo. Since 1981 however, the anthem has once again been performed according to the scores and tempo in use until 1974. While there are seven verses ot the song, only the first (and sometimes the sixth and seventh) are sung, along with the chorus.

The lyrics, speaking of bloody battles and a call for citizens to take up arms, have been debated endlessly whether to alter the words to suit the more peaceful times that France currently enjoys, but the original words, capturing the spirit of the French revolution, remain. This is probably due to the fact that "La Marseillaise" is now inexorably linked to France in the mind of the world.

Next: First French national anthem (1799-1815)