Marche Henri IV

"Marche Henri IV", alternatively "Vive Henri IV" or "Vive le roi Henri", is a popular French song celebrating King Henry IV of France (also known as Le Bon Roi Henri, "Good King Henry"). The melody comes from Thoinot Arbeau's work Orchesographie; it is the Branle Couppé "Cassandre", while the lyrics were written for a comedy opera in 1770.[1] At later dates, more lyrics were added to the song.[2] The song refers to the first Bourbon King of France, Henry IV (Henry III of Navarre), who had ended the Wars of Religion and restored peace to France (hence his sobriquet). Additional lyrics supporting either the Revolutionary or Restorationist causes were sung during the course of the French Revolution.

Lyrics

French lyrics	Literal English translation
Vive Henri quatre Vive ce Roi vaillant Ce diable à quatre A le triple talent: De boire et de battre, Et d'être un vert galant. De boire et de battre, Et d'être un vert galant.	Long live Henry IV Long live this valiant king This fourfold devil Of three talents: Of drinking, fighting And womanising. Of drinking, fighting And womanising.
Au diable guerres, Rancunes et partis ! Comme nos pères Chantons en vrais amis, Au choc des verres, Les roses et les lys. Au choc des verres, Les roses et les lys.	To hell with wars, Grudges and partisanship! Like our fathers Let us sing as true friends, Clink the glasses, The roses and the lilies. Clink the glasses, The roses and the lilies.
Chantons l'antienne Qu'on chantera dans mille ans ; Que Dieu maintienne En paix ses descendants Jusqu'à ce qu'on prenne, La Lune avec les dents. Jusqu'à ce qu'on prenne, La Lune avec les dents.	Let us sing the refrain That we will sing in a thousand years: May God maintain His descendants in peace Until we take the moon With our teeth.[3] Until we take the moon With our teeth.
Vive la France! Vive le roi Henri! Qu'à Reims on danse En disant comme Paris: Vive la France! Vive le roi Henri! Vive la France! Vive le roi Henri!	Long live France! Long live king Henry! To Reims we dance Singing as they do in Paris: Long live France! Long live king Henry! Long live France! Long live king Henry!

In other works

Marche Henri IV was a common leitmotif for French royalty in several 19th-century works, such as in Gioachino Rossini's opera Il viaggio a Reims (in the finale, when Charles X is crowned) and in the final march in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet The Sleeping Beauty (and the same march is recalled in the final scene of Sleeping Beauty by Walt Disney, since it includes arrangements and adaptations from the ballet).
It was set for piano solo by Franz Liszt in c. 1870-80 (S. 239).
It is mentioned as one of the tunes played in Russia after the defeat of Napoleon in "The Blizzard" by Alexander Pushkin.
The anthem is also mentioned in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace, and actually performed by French prisoners in the Russian film production of the same name.
In Les Misérables, Victor Hugo has the character of Grantaire sing alternate Dionysian lyrics to the tune to rile his fellow student insurrectionists.
It is used in the soundtrack for the television series Turn: Washington's Spies, when introducing a scene involving French military forces.

References

"Vive Henri IV!", accessed 2017-12-10, http://www.henri-iv.culture.fr/medias/en/pdf/0/756_10.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h5M78YVN8M
i.e. achieve the impossible

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[1] "Vive Henri IV!", accessed 2017-12-10, http://www.henri-iv.culture.fr/medias/en/pdf/0/756_10.pdf

[2] ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h5M78YVN8M

[3] .e. achieve the impossible

Marche Henri IV

Lyrics

In other works

See also

References