"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 was heard of as early as 1581, when it was mentioned in the book of Christmas songs of Christophle de Bordeaux, under the name "Chant de la Cassandre". It was a de facto anthem of the post-Restoration Kingdom of France (the kingdom did not have an official anthem). Thoinot Arbeau, in his Orchesographie (1589) gives us a music score of the air as the "Branle Couppé Cassandre". The air was adapted around 1600, presumably by Eustache du Caurroy, to fit new lyrics celebrating the then King of France. Three other verses were written for a comedy opera by Charles Collé in 1770, called La partie de chasse de Henri IV. At later dates, more lyrics were added to the song. 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). During the French Revolution, the original lyrics were used to support the royalist cause. For instance, during the early Revolution, before the turn to republicanism (1789–1791), the anthem was renamed Vive Louis XVI (Long live Louis XVI). The lyrics were used by constitutional monarchists to give praise to monarchy during the times of political crisis. The anthem was also used with yet another set of lyrics during the Bourbon Restoration period (1814–1830), under the name Le Retour des Princes français à Paris.

Lyrics

In other works