CLAUDE JOSEPH ROUGET DIT DE LISLE (1760-1836) Rare manuscript poem entitled Kléber attributed to Rouget de Lisle, the author of La Marseillaise, the revolutionary anthem that became France's national song. The poem evokes patriotic, military and liberty themes, reflecting revolutionary and Napoleonic ideals. The text celebrates the exploits of Jean Baptiste KLEBER (1753-1800), and refers to battles and rivers symbolic of Europe at war (the Rhine, the Thames, the Alps, the Loire), as well as to Egypt, suggesting an allusion to the Egyptian campaign (1798-1801). The lyrical, exalted tone recalls revolutionary songs, celebrating bravery, freedom and the destiny of France through the prism of a triumphant warrior. Some minimal folds and signs of wear. 2 p. and ¼ recto verso, in-8° format. Late 18th-early 19th century.