SS marschiert was a marching song of the Nazi German

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

 elite military force, the Waffen SS.

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.

The lyrics changed as the war went on. Originally they referred to the shores of the river Volga in Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, later to those of the river Oder

Oder

The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...

 on the German-Polish border, where heavy fighting took place in 1945. The lyrics openly declared that the SS would destroy the "Red plague".

In a version with slightly different and translated lyrics, the song also found its way into the French Foreign Legion

French Foreign Legion

The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...

 and is still sung today as "La Legion marche vers le front".

There was also an Norwegian version of the song called "Pa Vikintog".

A translated and modified version was sung by members of the Estonian 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS as "Pataljon Narwa Laul" ("The Song of Battalion Narwa").

The same song with different lyrics was also the marching song for the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian)

19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian)

The 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS was an Infantry Division of the Waffen SS during World War II. It was the second Latvian division formed in January 1944, after its sister unit, the 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS...

.

German lyrics

SS marschiert in Feindesland

Und singt ein Teufelslied

Ein Schütze steht am Wolgastrand

Und leise summt er mit

Wir pfeifen auf Unten und Oben

Und uns kann die ganze Welt

Verfluchen oder auch loben,

Grad wie es jedem 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 niemehr zur Ruh'

Wir kämpften schon in mancher Schlacht

In 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 niemehr zur Ruh'

Translation

SS marches in the enemy's land

And sings the Devil's song

A rifleman stands at the Volga's shores

And silently he hums along

Up or down we whistle,

And the whole world may

Curse or hail us

Whatever it please it to do

Wherever we are, let's go forward

And the devil laughs like this:

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

We're fighting for Germany

We're fighting for Hitler

We'll give the Reds no rest

We already fought in many battles

In North, South, East and West

And now we stand ready for battle

Against the Red plague

The SS will never rest, we will destroy

So no one will again disturb Germany's good fortune

And when the ranks are thinned

For us there will be no retreat

Wherever we are, let's go forward

And the devil laughs like this:

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

We're fighting for Germany

We're fighting for Hitler

We'll give the Reds no rest

French foreign legion version

La Légion marche vers le front,

En chantant nous suivons,

Héritiers de ses traditions,

Nous sommes avec elle.

Pour ce destin de chevalier,

Honneur, Fidélité

Nous sommes fiers d'appartenir

au 2 R.E.P.

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)

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.

Translation

Once in Southern-Russia fought

in the far-away steppes of Don

a brave Estonian Battalion

was singing a song about the Devil

Once was thrown to East, then West

we stood everywhere as rocks

and the swamps of Nevel and Tsherkassy

we can never forget

Once the time forgets all the valiants

and levels the battlefields

and about the soldier of the death's head

only the wind will still tell.

There is no road back for us

though ruin is in the front of eyes

For free home it wouldn't be much

even if the last of us will fall

Assault in the steel of arms, in the fire,

the Devils laugh sounds in the flames - ha-ha-haa!

The radicle of freedom springs up

these ranks will not be broken

who give everything for Estonia

Norwegian Lyrics

På vikingtog til fremmed land

dro menn av nordisk att,

på kongeskip sto mann ved mann

av Hirden kamp beredt.

Til Grønland og Island og Hjaltland,

gikk ferden pa 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.

Translation

On Viking expeditions to foreign land

drew men of Nordic kin

on kings' ships stood men with men

of Hird, ready for fight

To Iceland, Greenland and Shetland

went the course of the longships to west

in France and Ireland and England

was the Norseman an uninvited guest.

Now we are raising the Hird anew

of Vidkunn Quisling's men

and here in old Oslo town

the Viking Corps stands again

See the beacons lit at fells

they carry the message of new times

and the beacons' light shall foretell

of the Hirdsmen who will fight for the shires

Yes, the fiend got to bend

the Pope himself lost his might

ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha -ha.

as the arm of the greater Norse domain

stood the steadfast Hirdman at watch

Latvian Lyrics

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.

Translation

There's white country road under our feet,

It leads to Latvia.

To Latvia, where horrible enemy

Strews death over the fields.

We march brave and proud,

And carry the guns,

And names of ancient heroes

Comes with us as heritage.

We'll soon come, o Latvia, wait,

We'll bring freedom to you,

That is dear to us...

And we march and march,

And rush and hurry,

We must not come too late.