The Tragedy of the Tyrant-King
La tragédie du Roi-Tyran (English: The Tragedy of the Tyrant-King) was the anthem of the Provisional Republican Authority of Ainin (1798-1801) and of the Aininian Republic during the First Republic era (1801-1901). By the time of the adoption of the Constitution of 1901, the tune had fallen out of political favour as an embarrassing anachronism of the revolution and was replaced as national anthem by The Republic Marches On. However, it remains popular with republican groups, being the quasi-official anthem of the Republican Lobby and the official anthem of the Radical-Farmer-Worker Rally of the Charline Islands. It is also the official military march of the Republican Guard and the XV Concordia Corps.
It is set to the tune of L'Auxpuisienne, a tune from the play The Springs of Pisdara, during whose performance at a theatre occurred the Talon incident, generally considered the catalyst of the Aininian Revolution.
Lyrics
Lyrics for the tune were composed by Arnaud de Saint-Hyacinthe in April 1798 as he travelled south with the retreating republican army following the Great Betrayal. They were formally adopted by the Popular Assembly on 18 May 1798.
| La tragédie du Roi-Tyran The Tragedy of the Tyrant-King | |
| French lyrics | English translation |
|---|---|
| Le roi approche avec son armée aliene, | The king approaches with his alien army |
| À l'ombre du vieux chêne préparons-nous. | In the old oak's shadow let us prepare[a]. |
| Ne vaut-il pas la peine de mourir, | Is it not worth dying, |
| Si nos fils peuvent ainsi être libres? | If our sons can thereby become free? |
| Nos généraux prenent la retraite, | Our generals have been routed, |
| Mais la révolution avancera, | But the revolution still advances, |
| Le tricolore, étendard de la justice, | The tricolour, flag of justice, |
| Mènera le peuple à l'émancipation! | Will lead the people to emancipation! |
| Refrain | |
| Frère, aux armes, pour la République, | Brother, to arms, for the Republic, |
| Tranchons la tête aux Radissons! | Let's cut the head off the Radissons! |
| Frère, aux armes, pour la République, | Brother, to arms, for the Republic, |
| Vivons le rêve de libération! | Let's live the dream of liberation! |
| Le Châteauguay brûle dans la nègr'aube, | Châteauguay burns in the black twilight[b], |
| Le peuple avance contre les vélites. | The people are advancing against the Velites[c]. |
| Mettons à mort le roi, prince et duc, | Let's put the king, prince and duke to death, |
| Du même sort partageront leurs acolytes. | The same fate their acolytes shall share. |
| Le peuple avance contre les vélites. | The people are advancing against the Velites. |
| Mettons à mort le roi, prince et duc, | Let's put the king, prince and duke to death, |
| Et les traîtres contre la République. | And the traitors against the Republic. |
| Refrain (x2) | |
Notes
- 1.^ The Auxpuis Oak was a tree in Auxpuis, Linaque where the Proclamation of an Aininian Republic was read on 2 April 1798. It was cut down by pursuing monarchists following the Second Battle of Auxpuis on 6 April. It later held great symbolic significance for republican groups.
- 2.^ Châteauguay, a royal castle in Bounèsquebourg, Bounèsque, was an icon of the Aininian monarchy. Shortly after the city fell to the republicans in 1799, the castle was burned down by looting militiamen. It was rebuilt in 1893 as a museum.
- 3.^ Velite was the nickname given to Nevan light infantrymen on the monarchist side.