So this is my fave Les Mis song on any given day, and I agree it's even more rousing in the original Boublil/Natel French lyrics. I can't say I know that much about the original French music or cast, nor is my French good enough to delve into the intricacies of the French lyrics vs the English ones, but imo À la volonté du peuple /With the volition of the people is even more Hugolian and Republican than the more watered-down English version "Do you hear the people sing?"

Are you enjoying Ninety-Three? That's next on my French Romantics list, though I've taken a detour into Restoration era politics with Balzac's Une ténébreuse affaire (it's going very slowly, though; perhaps I'll be persuaded to give Jacobean romance a try!).