The Internationale [variant words in square brackets] (Eugene Pottier 1871 ) Arise ye workers [starvelings] from your slumbers Arise ye prisoners [criminals] of want For reason in revolt now thunders And at last ends the age of cant. Away with all your superstitions Servile masses arise, arise We'll change henceforth [forthwith] the old tradition [conditions] And spurn the dust to win the prize. So comrades, come rally And the last fight let us face The Internationale unites the human race. So comrades, come rally And the last fight let us face The Internationale unites the human race. No more deluded by reaction On tyrants only we'll make war The soldiers too will take strike action They'll break ranks and fight no more And if those cannibals keep trying To sacrifice us to their pride They soon shall hear the bullets flying We'll shoot the generals on our own side. We peasants, artisans and others, Enrolled amongst the sons of toil Let's claim the earth henceforth for brothers Drive the indolent from the soil. On our flesh for too long has fed the raven We've too long been the vultures prey. But now farewell to spirit craven The dawn brings in a brighter day. No saviour from on high delivers No faith have we in prince or peer Our own right hand the chains must shiver Chains of hatred, greed and fear E'er the thieves will out with their booty [give up their booty] And give to all a happier lot. Each [those] at the forge must do their duty And we'll strike while the iron is hot. ---------------------------------------- A more modern Version : The Internationale Words: Billy Bragg Stand up, all victims of oppression For the tyrants fear your might Don't cling so hard to your possessions For you have nothing, if you have no rights Let racist ignorance be ended For respect makes the empires fall Freedom is merely privilege extended Unless enjoyed by one and all Chorus: So come brothers and sisters For the struggle carries on The Internationale Unites the world in song So comrades come rally For this is the time and place The international ideal Unites the human race Let no one build walls to divide us Walls of hatred nor walls of stone Come greet the dawn and stand beside us We'll live together or we'll die alone In our world poisoned by exploitation Those who have taken, now they must give And end the vanity of nations We've but one Earth on which to live And so begins the final drama In the streets and in the fields We stand unbowed before their armour We defy their guns and shields When we fight, provoked by their aggression Let us be inspired by like and love For though they offer us concessions Change will not come from above -------------------------------------------- RUSSIAN LYRICS (Latin script) Vstavaj, prokljat'em zaklejmennyj, Ves' mir golodnyx i rabov! Kipit nash razum vozmushchennyj I v smertnyj boj vesti gotov. Ves' mir nasil'ja my razrushim Do osnovan'ja, a zatem-- My nash, my novyj mir postroim: Kto byl nichem, tot stanet vsem! CHORUS: Eto est' nash poslednij I reshitel'nyj boj, S Internacionalom Vosprjanet rod ljudskoj! (repeat chorus) Nikto ne dast nam izbavlen'ja-- Ni bog, ni car' i ni geroj. Dob'emcja my osvobozhden'ja Svoeju sobstvennoj rukoj. Chtob svergnut' gnet rukoj umeloj, Otvoevat' svoe dobro,-- Vzduvajte gorn i kyjte smelo, Poka zhelezo gorjacho! Lish' my, rabotniki vsemirnoj, Velikoj armii truda, Vladet' zemlej imeem pravo, No parazity--nikogda! I esli grom velikij grjanet Nad svoroj psov i palachej,-- Dlja nas vse tak zhe solnce stanet Sijat' ognem svoix luchej. --- ENGLISH TRANSLATION Arise, ye slaves who know starvation! Shake off the curse that binds the earth! Our reason boils with indignation, And makes us die to gain new birth. We'll tear down our planet's false foundation, Then build a better world anew, While he who lived in humble station Will stand erect, as is his due. CHORUS: Through the conflict comes power, Each will lift high his face. And thus will come to flower At last, the human race. Through the conflict comes power, Each will lift high his face. And thus will come to flower At last, the human race. We want no condescending saviors to rule us from their judgement hall We workers ask not for their favors Let us consult for all. To make the theif disgorge his booty To free the spirit from its cell We must ourselves decide our duty We must decide and do it well. The law oppresses us and tricks us, the wage slave system drains our blood; The rich are free from obligation, The laws the poor delude. Too long we've languished in subjection, Equality has other laws; "No rights," says she "without their duties, No claims on equals without cause." Behold them seated in their glory The kings of mine and rail and soil! What have you read in all their story, But how they plundered toil? Fruits of the workers' toil are buried In strongholds of the idle few In working for their restitution the men will only claim their due. We toilers from all fields united Join hand in hand with all who work; The earth belongs to us, the workers, No room here for the shirk. How many on our flesh have fattened! But if the norsome birds of prey Shall vanish from the sky some morning The blessed sunlight then will stay.