The French title is "Les Oies sauvages". The German original is "Wildgänse rauschen durch die Nacht" (Wild geese swoosh through the night) www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO6fSDZbXUQ
French lyrics:
Paroles [modifier]
I Les oies sauvages vont vers le Nord, Leurs cris dans la nuit montent, Gare au voyage car la mort, Nous guette par le monde, Gare au voyage car la mort, Nous guette par le monde.
II Au bout de la nuit qui descend, Voyage grise escadre, L'orage gronde et l'on entend, La rumeur des batailles, L'orage gronde et l'on entend, La rumeur des batailles.
III En avant vole grise armée, et cingle aux mers lointaines, Tu reviendras, mais nous qui sait, Ou le destin nous mène, Tu reviendras, mais nous qui sait, Ou le destin nous mène.
IV Comme toi toujours nous allons, Grise armée dans la guerre, Murmure nous si nous tombons, La dernière prière, Murmure nous si nous tombons, La dernière prière.
Version Légion étrangère
I Les oies sauvages vont vers le Nord Leurs cris dans la nuit monte. {Gare au voyage car la mort Nous guette par le monde. (bis)
II Au bout de la nuit qui descend Voyagent, grises escadres. {L’orage gronde et l’on entend La rumeur des batailles. (bis)
III En avant vole grise armée Et cingle aux mers lointaines. {Tu reviendras, mais nous qui sait Où le destin nous mène. (bis)
IV Wildgänse rauschen durch die Nacht Mit schrillem Schrei nach Norden. Unstete Fahrt, habt acht, habt acht! Die Welt ist voller Morden. (bis)
V Pour la victoire de la Légion, Avançons dans la guerre. {Murmurez-nous, si nous tombons La dernière prière. (bis)
1. Wild geese are rushing through the night, With shrill cry, northbound rangers. |: Hazard awaits, take care your flight And world is full of dangers.
2. Fly through the night-filled air my friends, You squadron grey and mighty. |: Dawn breaks as battle cry extends Far o'er the lands below ye.
3. Fly on, rush on, you grey-winged flight, Rush on to Northlands safety. |: When you fly south again some night, What will my fate have made me?
4. We are, as you, a gray-clothed pack, The Kaiser's fighting yeomen. |: Should our flight end with no way back, Fly south and sound our Amen.
Walter Flex, 1887-1917, was a German author responsible for Wanderer zwischen beiden Welten (The Wanderer between Two Worlds), a stunning war novel dealing with themes of humanity, friendship and suffering during World War I.
Born in Eisenach to a secondary school teacher, he went to the University of Erlangen where he studied German, thanks to the award of a bursary. In his brief life prior to the outbreak of war he worked as a teacher, publishing, amongst other works, Das Volk in Eisen and Sonne und Schild, a series of well received nationalist works. As a song, his poem Wildgänse rauschen durch die Nacht gained popularity with the Wandervogel youth and was well known and sung in Germany until the 1970s.
He served as a soldier from 1914, having enlisted as volunteer at the outbreak of war, was injured in action and died on October 16, 1917 at Oti Manor, Saaremaa, Estonia.
His Wanderer zwischen beiden Welten was published in 1916, by Beck's Verlag, and was well received. His reputation grew in the post-war years and his romantic idealism was exploited by the Nazi party, who found his evocative and romantic lyricism especially appealing and considered it an expression of Aryan ideals.
During the time of and partly due to German student movement his reputation faded almost entirely. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Flex
It is still sung by the Bundeswehr and students' fraternities. I hope that helped! With best regards, Turner
"Comment voulez-vous gouverner un pays qui a deux cent quarante-six variétés de fromage?" - Charles de Gaulles on France, 1962
