SS marschiert

SS marschiert in Feindesland was a marching song of the Waffen SS, one of the military forces in Nazi Germany.

Style
The lyrics imply the elite status which SS men saw themselves possessing. They are based on patriotic heroism and the mentality of "fighting till death", which was a popular philosophy in Germany during the Third Reich.

History
The lyrics changed as the war went on. Originally they referred to the shores of the river Volga in Russia, later to those of the river Oder on the German-Polish border, where heavy fighting took place in 1945. The lyrics openly declared that the SS would destroy the "Red plague".

As the Waffen SS gradually developed into a multi-ethnic and multi-national force, translated and modified versions were sung by SS men from other countries. Among these were a French version, used by SS Division Charlemagne, a Norwegian version called "På Vikingtog", and an Estonian version used by members of the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking and later 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS called "Pataljon Narwa Laul" ("The Song of Battalion Narwa"). It was also the marching song for the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian).

After the end of the Second World War, the song also found its way into the French Foreign Legion and is still sung today in a version with slightly different and translated lyrics as "La Legion marche vers le front". A Brazilian version is also known.

Lyrics
-- Original German Lyrics as sung by the Waffen SS --
 * SS marschiert in Feindesland,
 * Und singt ein Teufelslied.
 * Ein Schütze steht am Oderstrand,
 * Und leise summt er mit.
 * Wir pfeifen auf Unten und Oben,
 * Und uns kann die ganze Welt.
 * Verfluchen oder auch loben,
 * Grad wie es die wohl gefällt.


 * ''Wo wir sind da geht's immer vorwärts,
 * ''Und der Teufel der lacht nur dazu!
 * ''Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
 * ''Wir kämpfen für Deutschland,
 * ''Wir kämpfen für Hitler,
 * ''Der Rote kommt nie mehr zur Ruh'.


 * Wir kämpften schon in mancher Schlacht,
 * Im Nord, Süd, Ost und West.
 * Und stehen nun zum Kampf bereit,
 * Gegen die rote Pest.
 * SS wird nicht ruh'n, wir vernichten,
 * Bis niemand mehr stört Deutschlands Glück.
 * Und wenn sich die Reihen auch lichten,
 * Für uns gibt es nie ein Zurück.


 * ''Wo wir sind da geht's immer vorwärts,
 * ''Und der Teufel der lacht nur dazu!
 * ''Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
 * ''Wir kämpfen für Deutschland,
 * ''Wir kämpfen für Hitler,
 * ''Der Rote kommt nie mehr zur Ruh'.

 Translation 


 * SS March in the enemies land,
 * And sings a Devil's song.
 * A rifleman stands on Volgas beach,
 * And hums silently with he:
 * We whistle up above and beneath,
 * And can us the whole world,
 * Curse or even praise,
 * Just as it pleases everyone.


 * Where we exist it goes forwards!
 * And the devil laughs merely furthermore,
 * Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
 * We fight for Germany,
 * We fight for Hitler,
 * The red never more comes to rest.


 * We fought before in several fights,
 * In North, South, East and West.
 * And standing now, prepared to fight,
 * against the red plague.
 * SS will not rest, we'll annihilate,
 * until nobody disturbs Germanys luck.
 * And even if our line thins,
 * for us there is never retreat.


 * Where we exist it goes forwards!
 * And the devil laughs merely furthermore,
 * Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
 * We fight for Germany,
 * We fight for Hitler,
 * The red never more comes to rest.

Estonian version

 * Kord võitles Lõuna-Venemaal,
 * kaugel Doni steppides.
 * Üks vapper Eesti pataljon,
 * lauldes laulu kuradist.
 * Meid paisati itta, kord läände,
 * kõikjal seisime kaljude naal
 * ning Neveli sood ja Tšerkassõ,
 * ei iial meid unusta saa.


 * Aeg sangarid kord unustab
 * ja tandrid tasandab.
 * Ja surnupealuu sõdureist
 * vaid tuul veel jutustab.
 * Teed tagasi meie jaoks pole,
 * ehk küll häving on silmade ees.
 * Vaba Eesti eest palju ei oleks,
 * kui langeks meist viimnegi mees.


 * ''Rünnak relvade terases tules,
 * ''kõlab leekides kuradi naer - ha-ha-haa.
 * ''Võrsub vabadusidu,
 * ''ei murra neid ridu,
 * ''kes Eesti eest annavad kõik.

Norwegian version

 * På vikingtokt til fremmed land
 * dro menn av nordisk ætt,
 * på kongeskip sto mann ved mann
 * av Hirden kamp beredt.
 * Til Grønland og Island og Hjaltland,
 * gikk ferden på langskip mot vest,
 * og i Frankrike, Irland og England,
 * var nordmannen ubuden gjest.


 * Nå reiser vi en Hird på ny
 * av Vidkun Quislings menn.
 * Og her i gamle Oslo by
 * Står Vikingkorpset frem.
 * Se baunene lyser fra fjellet
 * Bærer bud om den nye tid.
 * Og baunenes lys skal fortelle
 * om hirdmenn som fylkes til strid.


 * ''Ja, fienden de måtte vike,
 * ''selv paven han tapte sin makt,
 * ''ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha -ha.
 * ''For til vern om det stornorske riket
 * ''stod trofaste Hirdmenn på vakt.

Latvian version

 * Zem mūsu kājām lielceļš balts
 * Uz Latviju tas ved.
 * Uz Latviju, kur naidnieks baigs,
 * Pār laukiem nāvi sēj


 * ''Mēs soļojam droši un lepni,
 * ''Un šautenes plecos ir mums,
 * ''un senajo varoņu vārdi,
 * ''nāk līdzi, kā mantojums mums.
 * ''Mēs nāksim drīz, Latvija, gaidi!
 * ''Un nesīsim brīvību Tev- kas mums dārga,
 * un mēs ejam un ejam un traucam un steidzam- par vēlu mēs nedrīkstam būt!


 * Mums viena doma sirdī kvēl -
 * Par tēvu zemi stāt!
 * Un nežēlīgam naidniekam
 * likt visu atmaksāt!


 * ''Mēs šautenēm liksim tad liesmot,
 * ''un granātu metējiem kaukt,
 * ''bet pašiem mums nāvei būs spītēt,
 * ''ložu svilpieniem atbalsis saukt!
 * ''Mēs ticam trīs Latvijas zvaigznēm,
 * ''Lai ugunī spožas kļūst tās, mūžu mūžam!
 * un mēs ejam un ejam uz priekšu tik traucam - par vēlu mēs nedrīkstam būt!

French version
Title : "Le Chant du Diable" (The Devil's Song)


 * SS marchons vers l'ennemi,
 * Chantant le Chant du Diable.
 * Car dans les coeurs, des gars hardis,
 * Souffle un vent formidable.
 * Qu'importe que l'on nous acclame,
 * Ou nous damne le monde entier :
 * Nous l'entraînerons dans les flammes,
 * Et nous en rions volontiers !


 * ''Là où nous passons que tout tremble,
 * ''Et le Diable y rit avec nous !
 * ''Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha !
 * ''Nous luttons pour l'Europe et la liberté,
 * ''Notre Honneur s'appelle Fidélité.


 * SS nous rentrerons en France,
 * Chantant le Chant du Diable.
 * Bourgeois craignez notre colère,
 * Et nos poings formidables.
 * Nous couvrirons de nos chants ardents,
 * Vos cris et vos plaintes angoissées.
 * Avec nous hurle Satan
 * Et nous en rions volontiers.


 * ''Là où nous passons tout s'écroule,
 * ''Et le Diable y rit avec nous !
 * ''Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha !
 * ''Nous luttons pour l'Europe et la liberté,
 * ''Notre Honneur s'appelle Fidélité.

Translation :


 * SS marching towards the enemy,
 * Singing the Devil's Song.
 * For in the hearts of the guys bold,
 * Winds are great.
 * No matter that we are cheered,
 * Or that the world damns us,
 * We will train him in the flames,
 * And we laugh willingly.


 * ''Where we go all tremble,
 * ''And the Devil laughs with us !
 * ''Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha !
 * ''We fight for Europe and for freedom,
 * ''Our Honour is called Loyalty.


 * SS we will back to France,
 * Singing the Devil's Song.
 * Bourgeois, fear our wrath
 * And our great fists !
 * We will cover, with our ardents songs, your cries and your anxious complaints.
 * The Devil roars with us,
 * And we laugh willingly.


 * ''Where we go everything collapses,
 * ''And the Devil laughs with us !
 * ''Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha !
 * ''We fight for Europe and for freedom,
 * ''Our Honour is called Loyalty.

French Foreign Legion
"The "Devil's Song", once used by the French SS Division Charlemagne, was modified for use by the French Foreign Legion and called "La Légion marche vers le front".


 * La Légion marche vers le front,
 * En chantant nous vaincrons,
 * Héritiers de ses traditions,
 * Nous aussi nous marchons.


 * ''Nous sommes les hommes des troupes d'assaut
 * ''Soldats de la vieille Légion,
 * ''Demain brandissant nos drapeaux,
 * ''En vainqueurs nous défilerons,
 * ''Nous n'avons pas seulement des armes,
 * ''Mais le diable marche avec nous,
 * ''Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, car nos aînes de la Légion,
 * ''Se battant là-bas, nous emboîtons le pas.


 * Pour ce destin de chevalier
 * Honneur fidélité.
 * Nous sommes fiers d'appartenir
 * A ceux qui vont mourir


 * ''Nous sommes les hommes des troupes d'assaut
 * ''Soldats de la vieille Légion,
 * ''Demain brandissant nos drapeaux,
 * ''En vainqueurs nous défilerons,
 * ''Nous n'avons pas seulement des armes,
 * ''Mais le diable marche avec nous,
 * ''Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, car nos aînes de la Légion,
 * ''Se battant là-bas, nous emboîtons le pas.


 * Fidélité est notre loi,
 * Lutter pour notre foi.
 * Notre fierté de chevaliers,
 * Notre honneur de soldats.


 * ''Nous sommes les hommes des troupes d'assaut
 * ''Soldats de la vieille Légion,
 * ''Demain brandissant nos drapeaux,
 * ''En vainqueurs nous défilerons,
 * ''Nous n'avons pas seulement des armes,
 * ''Mais le diable marche avec nous,
 * ''Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, car nos aînes de la Légion,
 * Se battant là-bas, nous emboîtons le pas.

 Translation 


 * The Legion marches towards the front,
 * And singing we follow,
 * Heirs of its traditions,
 * We are with her.
 * For this destiny of Chivalry,
 * Honor and loyalty,
 * We are proud to belong
 * to the 2e REP


 * ''We are the storm troopers,
 * ''Soldiers of the old Legion.
 * ''Tomorrow holding up our flags
 * ''As victors we will ravel.
 * ''We have not only our weapons,
 * ''But also the devil walking with us:
 * ''Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
 * ''Because our old brothers in arms of the Legion,
 * Fighting down there, we fall in behind them. (the meaning is: our dead comrades are marching with us)

Brazilian version

 * ''Dragões do AR


 * ''Avante irmãos! Avante heróis! Em busca da vitória
 * ''Subindo aos céus, lançando-se no ar,
 * ''Honrando a nossa história
 * ''Mais fortes, mais rijos lutando
 * ''Soldados da velha Brigada
 * ''A hora na porta saltando
 * ''A luta prá nós não é nada


 * ''Brindamos à morte, ao perigo
 * ''Saudamos também o inimigo,
 * ''lá, lá, lá, lá, lá!
 * ''E a velha Brigada se bate,
 * ''Se mostra mais forte na hora da dor


 * ''Avante irmãos! Avante heróis! Voltar não desejamos
 * ''Lutando sempre, fugindo nunca
 * ''Viver não imploramos
 * ''Unidos, coesos, marchando
 * ''Soldados da velha Brigada!
 * ''O gosto da morte lembrando
 * ''Aos novos que chegam do nada.


 * ''Brindamos à morte, ao perigo
 * ''Saudamos também o inimigo,
 * ''lá, lá, lá, lá, lá!
 * ''E a velha Brigada se bate,
 * ''Se mostra mais forte na hora da dor