A Beautiful Thing Happened In Paris Tonight

Friday night's horrific terrorist attacks in Paris brought with them very few bright moments, but a video of thousands of people singing the French national anthem as they were evacuated from Stade de France showed a solidarity and patriotism that was incredibly touching amid the scenes of carnage and violence.

In addition to several attacks in the city center, the area surrounding Stade de France was hit by several explosions on Friday night, potentially via suicide bomber. French President Francois Hollande was attending a France-Germany match at the stadium when the explosions occurred, and was soon evacuated. The 80,000 spectators were then held inside for a time, many flooding the field, until they were released. Reportedly, after getting word of the violence occurring outside, some elected to stay inside the stadium walls for a time rather than venture out into the danger.

Many images and video were released from inside the stadium via social media, including ones documenting the moment one of the explosions occurred, and of people gathering on the field afterwards. But while those documentations of the attacks and their aftermath were largely chilling and scary, the video of Parisians banding together to sing "La Marseillaise" as they exit Stade de France was a beautiful moment.

That beautiful moment, though, becomes all the more poignant when viewed alongside a translation of the first lines of the country's anthem.

Arise children of the fatherland

The day of glory has arrived

Against us tyranny's

Bloody standard is raised

Listen to the sound in the fields

The howling of these fearsome soldiers

They are coming into our midst

To cut the throats of your sons and consort

Hopefully there will be no more blood tonight.