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Pierre-Jean de Béranger (1780-1857) was a French poet and chansonnier. He worked initially as a typographer and was later involved in the bankrupcy of his family’s bank. In 1809, he was hired by the University as a copyist. His anti-governmental poems and songs caused his dismissal in 1821. However, his works, of popular, liberal and patriotic inspiration, became rapidly famous. Renowned writers, such as Stendhal and Merimée considered him as the greatest poet of the XIXth century. Châteaubriand, Hugo and Dumas honoured him. Béranger refused titles and dignities, including a membership in the French Academy. In 1848, he was elected Deputee in Paris without having been candidate and resigned. This caused a great disappointment among his supporters and the “modern” writers, such as Baudelaire and Flaubert denounced his literary opportunism. Béranger was rediscovered by the French nationalists in the beginning of the XXth century.
A main inspiration source for Béranger’s poems was the Napoleonic epic. In 1820, he wrote a song called Le Vieux Drapeau (The Old Flag). The song can be found in Béranger’s Complete Works, published in 1850 by the Librairie Encyclopédique de Périchon in Brussels. I use here the online version (with a few typos corrected) from a Napoleonic website.
The song is made of six stanzas of eight octosyllabs each. In fact, each stanza is made of two independent quatrains, each with “embraced” rhymes, that is an "abba" rhyme scheme. The last two octosyllabs are common to the first five stanza and come back like a rant:
Quand secouerai-je la poussière(«When shall I shake off the dust / Which tarnishes your noble coulors?») In the last stanza, minor changes give all its sense to the poem:
Qui ternit tes nobles couleurs?
Oui je secoueria la poussière(«Yes I shall shake off the dust / Which tarnishes your noble colours»)
Qui ternit tes nobles couleurs
The poem is full of hints which would have been clearly understood by a reader in 1820. It is a rant by an old veteran of the Napoleonic wars, who kept a [Tricolor] flag in his poor house and regrets the glorious Napoleonic times. He calls several symbols of the Revolution and the Empire, such as the eagle, the Liberty, the Victory, the Gauls’ roaster, which were more or less banned during the Restoration. The «noble colours» are associated with the men of common birth who made the Napoleonic glory, The Bourbons are presented as the “oppressors” and the «dust which tarnished the noble colours» can also be associated to them. As said above, the end of the poem is a call to “counter-restoration” and reestablishment of the Tricolor flag.
The violence hidden in the poem and its popularity shows once again how clueless the Bourbons were when they suppressed the Tricolore flag. Initially considered as an insurgent’s flag, the Tricolore had progressively gained more respectability, especially via the Napoleonic epic, and was widely accepted. Having spent all that time in exile preparing their return and revenge, the Bourbons could not have understood the political and social changes which had taken place in France from 1789 to 1814.
Ivan Sache, 7 June 2003
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[⚓]
I | |
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De mes vieux compagnons de gloire Je viens de me voir entouré : Nos souvenirs m’ont enivré, Le vin m’a rendu la mémoire. Fier de mes exploits et des leurs, J’ai mon drapeau dans ma chaumièere. Quand secouerai-je la poussière Qui ternit ses nobles couleurs? |
I was just surrounded By my old companions in glory: Our memories intoxicated me, Wine triggered my memory. Proud of my exploits and their, I kept my flag in my cottage. When shall I shake off the dust Which tarnishes its noble colours? |
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[⚓]
II | |
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Il est caché sous l’humble paille Où je dors pauvre et mutilé, Lui qui, sûr de vaincre, a volé Vingt ans de bataille en bataille! Chargé de lauriers et de fleurs, Il brilla sur l’Europe entière. Quand secouerai-je la poussière Qui ternit ses nobles couleurs? |
It is hidden under the humble straw Where I sleep, poor and disabled, Him which, sure of the victory, flew For twenty years from battle to battle Laden with laurels and flowers, He shone over the whole Europe. When shall I shake off the dust Which tarnishes its noble colours? |
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III | |
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Ce drapeau payait à la France Tout le sang qu’il nous a coûté. Sur le sein de la liberté Nos fils jouaient avec sa lance. Qu’il prouve encore aux oppresseurs Combien la gloire est roturière. Quand secouerai-je la poussière Qui ternit ses nobles couleurs? |
This flag paid to France All the blood it costed us. On the bosom of liberty Our sons played with its spear. May it still prove to the oppressors How glory is of common birth. When shall I shake off the dust Which tarnishes its noble colours? |
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IV | |
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Son aigle est resté dans la poudre, Fatigué de lointains exploits. Rendons-lui le coq des Gaulois: Il sut aussi lancer la foudre. La France, oubliant ses douleurs, Le rebe’nira, libre et fière. Quand secouerai-je la poussière Qui ternit ses nobles couleurs? |
Its eagle remained in the dust, Tired of its far-off exploits. Give him back the Gauls’ roaster: It also knew how to throw the thunderbolt. France, forgetting its pains, Shall bless it again, free and proud. When shall I shake off the dust Which tarnishes its noble colours? |
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V | |
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Las d’errer avec la Victoire, Des lois il deviendra l’appui. Chaque soldat fut, grâace à lui, Citoyen au bord de la Loire. Seul il peut voiler nos malheurs; Déployons-le sur la frontière. Quand secouerai-je la poussière Qui ternit ses nobles couleurs? |
Weary of wander with Victory, it shall become the support of the laws. Every soldier was, thanks to it, A citizen on the shore of the Loire. Only it can veil our misfortunes; Let us unfurl it on the border. When shall I shake off the dust Which tarnishes its noble colours? |
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[⚓]
VI | |
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Mais il est là près de mes armes ; Un instant osons l’entrevoir. Viens, mon drapeau, viens, mon espoir! C’est à toi d’essuyer mes larmes. D’un guerrier qui verse des pleurs Le ciel entendra la prière: Oui, je secouerai la poussière Qui ternit tes nobles couleurs. |
But it lies here close to my arms; Let us make it out for a whilte. Come, my flag, comme, my hope! You shall dry my tears. Heaven shall hear the prayer From a warrior who shed a tear: Yes, I shall shake off the dust Which tarnishes your noble colours. |
quoted and translated by Ivan Sache, 07 Jun 2003
The following is, I believe, the list of the flags mentioned (in order of appearance) on the American Life video by Madonna. Most nations are represented including Greenland and Palestine…
Earl Washburn, 15 Jun 2003
Here is the text of the Alsatian flag song,
written by Emil Woerth in 1911. Note that the text is written in German.
Although Alsatian and German are different languages, the written form of
Alsatian is German. Source of the original text (music also available) at
Elsassnet.
Ivan Sache, 21 Jun 2003
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1. Sei gegrüsst, du unsres Landes Zeichen Ref: 2. Echt und recht, wie unsre Väter waren 3. Und ob Glück, ob Leid das Zeitgetriebe 4. Lasst uns drum auf unsre Fahne schwören |
1. Be saluted, you, the emblem of our country, Chorus: 2. Genuine and right, like our fathers, 3. And if time brings either luck or misfortune 4. Let us therefore swear on our flag, | ||
quoted and translated by Ivan Sache, 21 Jun 2003
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