The March of Henry IV, or Vive Henri Quatre, was the anthem of France before the Revolution of 1789 and again after the restoration of the monarchy in 1814/1815. Named after the first of the Bourbon kings, for me it’s the most inspiring of all the royal anthems. I first came across it when I saw Sergei Bondarchuk’s epic film version of Tolstoy’s War and Peace, where it is sung by one of the captive French officers. It really is lovely.
Vive Henri quatre
Vive ce Roi vaillant
Ce diable à quatre
A le triple talent
De boire de battre
Et d'être un vers galant
De boire de battre
Et d'être un vers galant
Au diable guerres
Rancunes et partis
Commes nos pères
Chantons en vrais amis
Au choc des verres
Les roses et les lys
Au choc des verres
Les roses et les lys
Chantons l'antienne
Qu'on chant'ra dans mille ans
Que Dieu maintienne
En paix ses descendants
Jusqu'à c'e qu'on prenne
La lune avec les dents
Jusqu'à c'e qu'on prenne
La lune avec les dents
Vive la France
Vive le roi Henri
Qu'à Reims on danse
Disant comme à Paris
Vive la France
Vive le roi Henri
Vive la France
Vive le roi Henri
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Not half as beautiful as God Preserve The Tasr.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's good too, though Henri Quatre is more upbeat, just marching along. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou know me, I bring the dark clouds with me where ever I go.
ReplyDeletePoor boy. :-)
ReplyDeleteLife from 'neath a cloud is far more sheltering than in more exposed and desert like places.
ReplyDeleteYour cloud is deep and dark at the moment.
ReplyDeleteOne is blinded by the white of snow and the glare of the sun--where at night the stars shine with erstwhile un-known clarity.
ReplyDeleteI hate to see you beating yourself up over the silliness in that other place.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOK.
ReplyDelete