The Internationale
Encyclopedia
The Internationale is a famous socialist
, communist
, social-democratic
and anarchist
anthem
.
The Internationale became the anthem of international socialism, and gained particular fame under the Soviet Union
from 1922 to 1944, when it was that communist state's de facto central anthem. Its original French refrain is C'est la lutte finale / Groupons-nous et demain / L'Internationale / Sera le genre humain. (Freely translated: "This is the final struggle / Let us group together and tomorrow / The Internationale / Will be the human race.")
The Internationale has been translated into many languages. It is sung traditionally with the hand raised in a clenched fist salute
. The Internationale has been celebrated not only by socialists but also by communists and social democrats, as well as anarchists.
) and were originally intended to be sung to the tune of La Marseillaise
. Pierre De Geyter (1848–1932) set the poem to music in 1888. His melody was first publicly performed in July 1888 and became widely used soon after.
In an unsuccessful attempt to save Pierre De Geyter's job as a woodcarver, the 6,000 leaflets printed by Lille printer Bolboduc only mentioned the French version of his family name (Degeyter). In 1904, Pierre's brother Adolphe was induced by the Lille
mayor Gustave Delory to claim copyright, so that the income of the song would continue to go to Delory's French Socialist Party
. Pierre De Geyter lost the first copyright case in 1914, but after his brother committed suicide
and left a note explaining the fraud, Pierre was declared the copyright owner by a court of appeal in 1922.
Pierre De Geyter died in 1932. His music of the Internationale is copyrighted in France until October 2017. The duration of copyright in France is 70 years following the end of the year when the author died, plus (for musical works) 6 years and 152 days to compensate for World War I
, and 8 years and 120 days to compensate for World War II
respectively. In 2005, Le Chant du Monde, the corporation administering the authors' rights, asked Pierre Merejkowsky, the film director
and an actor of Insurrection / résurrection, to pay €1,000 for whistling the song for seven seconds.
However, as the Internationale music was published before 1 July 1909 outside the United States of America, it is in the public domain in the USA. Pierre De Geyter's music is also in the public domain in countries and areas whose copyright durations are authors' lifetime plus 75 years or less. As Eugène Pottier died in 1887, his original French lyrics are in the public domain. Gustave Delory once acquired the copyright of his lyrics through the songwriter G B Clement having bought it from Pottier's widow.
's visit sang the hymn to embarrass their captors by suggesting they had abandoned the socialist cause they were supposed to serve. Luckhardt's version of the final line of the chorus tellingly reads: "Die Internationale erkämpft das Menschenrecht". (The Internationale will win our human rights.) It was coupled with the chant: "Volkspolizei, steh dem Volke bei" (People's police, stand with the people!).
The Internationale in Chinese
, literally the International Song, has several different sets of lyrics. One such version served as the de facto anthem of the Communist Party of China
, the national anthem of the Chinese Soviet Republic, as well as a rallying song of the students and workers at the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
. Versions of the song in Indian languages, particularly Bengali and Malayalam, have existed since the 1950s since the translation of the song for the people of the Indian state of Kerala
by actor and social activist Premji for the united Communist Party of India
(CPI). In the 1980s, more translations appeared. Translations by Sachidanandan and Mokeri Ramachandran were sung by the activists of Janakeeya Samskarikavedi, an organisation connected with CPI(Marxist-Leninist)
(CPI(ML). Translation by N. P. Chandrasekharan was for Students Federation of India
(SFI), the student organisation associated with CPI(Marxist)
(CPI(M) and published in the Student Monthly, the organ of SFI.
, a Russian émigré magazine. The first Russian version consisted of three stanza
s (as opposed to six stanzas in the original French lyrics, and based on stanzas 1, 2 and 6) and the refrain. After the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, the text was slightly re-worded to get rid of "now useless" future tenses - particularly the refrain was reworded (the future tense was replaced by the present, and the first person plural possessive pronoun was introduced). In 1918, the chief-editor of Izvestia
, Yuri Steklov, appealed to Russian writers to translate the other three stanzas and in the end, the song was expanded into six stanzas. In 1944, the Soviet Union adopted the Hymn of the Soviet Union as its national anthem
. Prior to that time, the Internationale served as the principal musical expression of allegiance to the ideals of the October Revolution
and the Soviet Union
. (The Internationale continued to be recognized as the official song of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
, and the post-1919 Soviet version is still used by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation
.) The three stanzas by Kots were as follows:
with five verses, is usually sung in two. The American version is sometimes sung with the phrase "the internationale", "the international soviet", or "the international union" in place of "the international working class". In English renditions, "Internationale" is sometimes sung as ɪntərnæʃəˈnæli (rhyming with "valley") rather than the French pronunciation of lɛ̃tɛʁnasjɔnal(ə).
The English versions are known to be notoriously difficult to sing, as the lyrics may appear sometimes forced and unnatural. British musician Billy Bragg
, after talking to the American folk singer
and activist Pete Seeger
, agreed that the old lyrics were "archaic and unsingable". Bragg composed revised verses for the song, based on the British version. The recording was released on his album The Internationale
along with reworkings of other socialist songs. A full, six-stanza translation can be found on the Wikisource page on The Internationale.
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
, communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, social-democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
and anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
.
The Internationale became the anthem of international socialism, and gained particular fame under the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
from 1922 to 1944, when it was that communist state's de facto central anthem. Its original French refrain is C'est la lutte finale / Groupons-nous et demain / L'Internationale / Sera le genre humain. (Freely translated: "This is the final struggle / Let us group together and tomorrow / The Internationale / Will be the human race.")
The Internationale has been translated into many languages. It is sung traditionally with the hand raised in a clenched fist salute
Raised fist
The raised fist is a symbol of solidarity and support. It is also used as a salute to express unity, strength, defiance, or resistance. The salute dates back to ancient Assyria as a symbol of resistance in the face of violence.-History:Assyrian depictions of the goddess Ishtar show her raising a...
. The Internationale has been celebrated not only by socialists but also by communists and social democrats, as well as anarchists.
Original lyrics and copyright
The original French words were written in June 1871 by Eugène Pottier (1816–1887, previously a member of the Paris CommuneParis Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
) and were originally intended to be sung to the tune of La Marseillaise
La Marseillaise
"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song, originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795...
. Pierre De Geyter (1848–1932) set the poem to music in 1888. His melody was first publicly performed in July 1888 and became widely used soon after.
In an unsuccessful attempt to save Pierre De Geyter's job as a woodcarver, the 6,000 leaflets printed by Lille printer Bolboduc only mentioned the French version of his family name (Degeyter). In 1904, Pierre's brother Adolphe was induced by the Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
mayor Gustave Delory to claim copyright, so that the income of the song would continue to go to Delory's French Socialist Party
French Socialist Party (1902)
The French Socialist Party was founded in 1902. It came from the merger of the "possibilist" Federation of the Socialist Workers of France , Jean Allemane's Revolutionary Socialist Workers' Party and some independent socialist politicians like Jean Jaurès...
. Pierre De Geyter lost the first copyright case in 1914, but after his brother committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and left a note explaining the fraud, Pierre was declared the copyright owner by a court of appeal in 1922.
Pierre De Geyter died in 1932. His music of the Internationale is copyrighted in France until October 2017. The duration of copyright in France is 70 years following the end of the year when the author died, plus (for musical works) 6 years and 152 days to compensate for World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and 8 years and 120 days to compensate for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
respectively. In 2005, Le Chant du Monde, the corporation administering the authors' rights, asked Pierre Merejkowsky, the film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and an actor of Insurrection / résurrection, to pay €1,000 for whistling the song for seven seconds.
However, as the Internationale music was published before 1 July 1909 outside the United States of America, it is in the public domain in the USA. Pierre De Geyter's music is also in the public domain in countries and areas whose copyright durations are authors' lifetime plus 75 years or less. As Eugène Pottier died in 1887, his original French lyrics are in the public domain. Gustave Delory once acquired the copyright of his lyrics through the songwriter G B Clement having bought it from Pottier's widow.
French lyrics | Literal English translation |
---|---|
First stanza | |
Debout, les damnés de la terre | Stand up, damned of the Earth |
Second stanza | |
Il n'est pas de sauveurs suprêmes | There are no supreme saviours |
Third stanza | |
L'État comprime et la loi triche | The State oppresses and the law cheats |
Fourth stanza | |
Hideux dans leur apothéose | Hideous in their apotheosis |
Fifth stanza | |
Les rois nous saoulaient de fumées | The kings made us drunk with fumes, |
Sixth stanza | |
Ouvriers, paysans, nous sommes | Workers, peasants, we are |
Translations into other languages
The German version, Die Internationale (translation by Emil Luckhardt 1910) was adopted by the protesters on the streets of East Berlin in 1953 and again in October 1989, when East Germans taken prisoner by their own police following demonstrations in the wake of Mikhail GorbachevMikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
's visit sang the hymn to embarrass their captors by suggesting they had abandoned the socialist cause they were supposed to serve. Luckhardt's version of the final line of the chorus tellingly reads: "Die Internationale erkämpft das Menschenrecht". (The Internationale will win our human rights.) It was coupled with the chant: "Volkspolizei, steh dem Volke bei" (People's police, stand with the people!).
The Internationale in Chinese
The Internationale in Chinese
The Internationale in Chinese is literally the International Song. It has several different sets of lyrics.-Qu Qiubai's version:The most common and official Chinese version is the de facto anthem of the Communist Party of China. It was translated on 15 June 1923 from the Russian version by Qu...
, literally the International Song, has several different sets of lyrics. One such version served as the de facto anthem of the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, the national anthem of the Chinese Soviet Republic, as well as a rallying song of the students and workers at the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
. Versions of the song in Indian languages, particularly Bengali and Malayalam, have existed since the 1950s since the translation of the song for the people of the Indian state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
by actor and social activist Premji for the united Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
(CPI). In the 1980s, more translations appeared. Translations by Sachidanandan and Mokeri Ramachandran were sung by the activists of Janakeeya Samskarikavedi, an organisation connected with CPI(Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of India was formed by the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries at a congress in Calcutta in 1969. The foundation of the party was declared by Kanu Sanyal at a mass-meeting in Calcutta on the 22nd of April .-History:CPI advocated armed revolution and...
(CPI(ML). Translation by N. P. Chandrasekharan was for Students Federation of India
Students Federation of India
Students Federation of India is one of the major student organisations in India. SFI is politically linked to the Communist Party of India . Founded in 1970, it claimed a membership strength of nearly 4.2 million school and university students as of 2010.SFI is currently led at the All India level...
(SFI), the student organisation associated with CPI(Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
(CPI(M) and published in the Student Monthly, the organ of SFI.
Russian lyrics
The Russian version was initially translated by Aron Kots (Arkady Yakovlevich Kots) in 1902 and printed in London in ZhiznZhizn
Zhizn was a Russian magazine published first in Saint Petersburg , then in London and Geneva .Zhizn began its existence as a general purpose magazine in January 1897. For the first two years it was edited, at various times, by S. V. Voejkov, D. M. Ostafyev, M. V. Kalitin, and M. S. Ermolaev and...
, a Russian émigré magazine. The first Russian version consisted of three stanza
Stanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
s (as opposed to six stanzas in the original French lyrics, and based on stanzas 1, 2 and 6) and the refrain. After the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, the text was slightly re-worded to get rid of "now useless" future tenses - particularly the refrain was reworded (the future tense was replaced by the present, and the first person plural possessive pronoun was introduced). In 1918, the chief-editor of Izvestia
Izvestia
Izvestia is a long-running high-circulation daily newspaper in Russia. The word "izvestiya" in Russian means "delivered messages", derived from the verb izveshchat . In the context of newspapers it is usually translated as "news" or "reports".-Origin:The newspaper began as the News of the...
, Yuri Steklov, appealed to Russian writers to translate the other three stanzas and in the end, the song was expanded into six stanzas. In 1944, the Soviet Union adopted the Hymn of the Soviet Union as its national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
. Prior to that time, the Internationale served as the principal musical expression of allegiance to the ideals of the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. (The Internationale continued to be recognized as the official song of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
, and the post-1919 Soviet version is still used by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation
Communist Party of the Russian Federation
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is a Russian political party. It is the second major political party in the Russian Federation.-History:...
.) The three stanzas by Kots were as follows:
Russian translation | Latin alphabet transliteration | Literal English translation |
---|---|---|
First stanza | ||
Вставай, проклятьем заклеймённый, | Get up, you who are branded by a curse, | |
Second stanza | ||
Никто не даст нам избавленья: | Nikto ne dast nam izbavlenya: | No one will grant us deliverance, |
Third stanza | ||
Довольно кровь сосать, вампиры, | Dovoľno krov sosať, vampiry, | You've sucked enough of our blood, you vampires, |
Fourth stanza | ||
Презренны вы в своём богатстве, | Prezrenny vy v svojom bogatstve, | Contemptible you are in your wealth, |
Fifth stanza | ||
Довольно королям в угоду | Dovol'no korol'am v ugodu | Enough of clouding our minds in the haze of war |
Sixth stanza | ||
Лишь мы, работники всемирной | Liš' my, rabotniki vsemirnoj | Only we, the workers of the worldwide |
English lyrics
The traditional British version of The Internationale is usually sung in three verses, while the American version, authored by Charles Hope KerrCharles Hope Kerr
Charles Hope Kerr , a son of abolitionists, was a vegetarian and Unitarian in 1886 when he established Charles H Kerr Company Publishers in Chicago right before the Haymarket Riot. Over the years, his company became a leading publisher of socialist, anarchist, and Wobbly works...
with five verses, is usually sung in two. The American version is sometimes sung with the phrase "the internationale", "the international soviet", or "the international union" in place of "the international working class". In English renditions, "Internationale" is sometimes sung as ɪntərnæʃəˈnæli (rhyming with "valley") rather than the French pronunciation of lɛ̃tɛʁnasjɔnal(ə).
The English versions are known to be notoriously difficult to sing, as the lyrics may appear sometimes forced and unnatural. British musician Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
, after talking to the American folk singer
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and activist Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
, agreed that the old lyrics were "archaic and unsingable". Bragg composed revised verses for the song, based on the British version. The recording was released on his album The Internationale
The Internationale (album)
The Internationale is a 1990 album by Billy Bragg. Originally released on Bragg's short-lived record label, Utility Records, it is a deliberately political album, consisting mainly of cover versions and rewrites of left-wing protest songs...
along with reworkings of other socialist songs. A full, six-stanza translation can be found on the Wikisource page on The Internationale.
British Translation | Billy Bragg's Revision | American version |
---|---|---|
First stanza | ||
Arise, ye workers from your slumber, Arise, ye prisoners 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 the old tradition, 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. |
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. 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. |
Arise, you prisoners of starvation! Arise, you wretched of the earth! For justice thunders condemnation: A better world's in birth! No more tradition's chains shall bind us, Arise you slaves, no more in thrall! The earth shall rise on new foundations: We have been nought, we shall be all! 'Tis the final conflict, Let each stand in his place. The international soviet Shall be the human race 'Tis the final conflict, Let each stand in his place. The international working class Shall be the human race |
Second stanza | ||
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. 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. |
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. 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. |
We want no condescending saviors To rule us from their judgment hall, We workers ask not for their favors Let us consult for all: To make the thief disgorge his booty To free the spirit from its cell, We must ourselves decide our duty, We must decide, and do it well. 'Tis the final conflict, Let each stand in his place. The international soviet Shall be the human race 'Tis the final conflict, Let each stand in his place. The international working class Shall be the human race |
Third stanza | ||
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, And to all give a happier lot. Each at his forge must do their duty, And we'll strike the iron while it's hot. 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. |
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 life and love. For though they offer us concessions, Change will not come from above! 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 Internationale, Unites the human race. |
Instrumental recordings
See also
- Anarchism and the artsAnarchism and the artsAnarchism has long had an association with the arts, particularly in music and literature. It shares this trait with other political movements, such as socialism, communism, liberalism, conservatism, libertarianism and even fascism....
- Eugene Pottier
- Pierre De Geyter
- The InternationaleThe Internationale (album)The Internationale is a 1990 album by Billy Bragg. Originally released on Bragg's short-lived record label, Utility Records, it is a deliberately political album, consisting mainly of cover versions and rewrites of left-wing protest songs...
, an album by Billy Bragg featuring Bragg's rewritten lyrics to the song. - The Internationale in ChineseThe Internationale in ChineseThe Internationale in Chinese is literally the International Song. It has several different sets of lyrics.-Qu Qiubai's version:The most common and official Chinese version is the de facto anthem of the Communist Party of China. It was translated on 15 June 1923 from the Russian version by Qu...
External links
- A documentary on the Internationale.
- Another large collection of downloadable recordings
- The Internationale: lyrics and tabs
- Communist propaganda clip with the Internationale as background music (Albanian and Russian)
- Downloadable recordings in more than 40 languages
- Piano arrangements and orchestral MIDI file of The Internationale
- The Internationale in 98 languages