The name "Belarusian Marseillaise" has been used to refer to two Belarus

Belarus

Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...

ian patriotic songs.

Above all, "Belarusian Marseillaise" is another name for the Belarusian song "We've slept for long" the author of whose lyrics is unknown. The song was reportedly heard for the first time in 1906, "among the revolutionary peasantry of the Slutsk

Slutsk

Slutsk is a town in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2010 its population is of 61,400).-Geography:The town is situated in the south-west of its Voblast, not too far from from the city of Soligorsk.-History:...

 Uyezd

Uyezd

Uyezd or uezd was an administrative subdivision of Rus', Muscovy, Russian Empire, and the early Russian SFSR which was in use from the 13th century. Uyezds for most of the history in Russia were a secondary-level of administrative division...

, Minsk Governorate

Minsk Governorate

The Minsk Governorate or Government of Minsk was a governorate of the Russian Empire. The seat was in Minsk. It was created in 1793 from the land acquired in the partitions of Poland, and lasted until 1921.- Administrative structure :...

". The song was dubbed the "Belarusian Marseillaise" for the Belarusian national and revolutionary pathos of its lyrics, but was sung to a different tune than La Marseillaise

La Marseillaise

"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song, originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795...

. In 1920s, and, possibly, later on, this song was the de facto anthem of the BSSR

Anthem of Byelorussian SSR

The State Anthem of the Byelorussian SSR was the state anthem of Belarus when it was a republic of the Soviet Union and known as the Byelorussian SSR. The anthem was used from 1955 until Belarusian independence in 1991. It took over 11 years to create the music and lyrics for the anthem, even...

 and of the Belarusian national movement abroad.

In late 1980s through early 1990s, the title "Belarusian Marseillaise" had also been used, occasionally, by the Belarusian national activists in relation to the song «Pahonya», with lyrics being the poem «Pahonya» by famous Belarusian poet Maksim Bahdanovich and the tune, indeed, that of La Marseillaise

La Marseillaise

"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song, originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795...

.

Lyrics of "Belarusian Marseillaise" / "We've slept for long"

Note: The song was sung with numerous variations in text.

Belarusian (incomplete) Адвеку мы спалі і нас разбудзілі, Пазналі, што трэба рабіць, Што трэба свабоды, зямлі чалавеку, Што трэ’ лепшай долі здабыць (2 last lines repeated) Бо што ж то за марная доля такая Для іншых карысці працуй Па нашых абшарах чужынец гуляе А ты ў родным краі гаруй (2 last lines repeated) ...

English Translation We've slept for long and we're awoken We've learnt what must be done, That man needs land and freedom That better life must be won (2 last lines repeated) For what's the wicked lot for us To work for others fare well So alien strolls over our realms While you shed tears in own land (2 last lines repeated) ...