Worker's Marseillaise
Template:Infobox anthem The "Worker's Marseillaise"Template:Efn is a Russian revolutionary song named after "La Marseillaise", the current national anthem of France. It is based on a poem of Pyotr Lavrov, first published on 1 July 1875 in London as "A New Song".Template:Efn The poem reflects a radical socialist program and calls for the violent destruction of the Russian monarchy. At the end of 1875 or in 1876, this poem began to be sung in Russia to the melody of the last verse of Robert Schumann's song "Die beiden grenadiere". Schumann's melody is inspired by the original Marseillaise, but is noticeably different from it. Thus, the melody of the Worker's Marseillaise is only indirectly related to the original Marseillaise, and the lyrics not at all. The song is close to the cruel romance genre, and this influenced its popularity. The name the "Worker's Marseillaise" has been fixed since the 1890s.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
It existed alongside several other popular versions, among others a Soldier's Marseillaise and a Peasant's Marseillaise.<ref name="Figs">Figes, p. 355</ref>
This anthem was popular during the 1905 Russian Revolution and was used as a national anthem by the Russian Provisional Government until its overthrow in the October Revolution. It remained in use by Soviet Russia for a short time alongside "The Internationale".<ref>Template:Cite journal Retrieved February 26, 2022</ref> During the 1917 Revolution it was played at all public assemblies, street demonstrations, concerts and plays.<ref name="Figs" />
Lyrics
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<poem>
Let us denounce the old world, Let us shake its dust from our feet! We are enemies to the golden idols, We detest the Imperial palace! We will go among the suffering bretheren, We will go to the starving people; With them we send our curses to the evil-doers, We will lead them to the fight. Template:Small Rise up, rise up, working people! Rise up against the enemy, hungry people! Ring out, people's cry of vengeance! Forward, forward, forward, forward, forward! The rich kulaks with their greedy hordes Steal your hard labor. Your sweat makes the gluttons fat, They tear up your last morsel. Starve, so that they could feast, Starve, so that on the stock market They could sell their conscience and honor, So that they could mock you. Your rest is but a grave. All your life struggle to find money to pay arrears. The vampire tsar is sucking the life out of you, The vampire tsar drinks the people's blood. He needs soldiers for his army. Give him your sons! He needs feasts and palaces. Give him your blood! Isn't eternal sorrow enough? Let's rise up, brothers, everywhere at once. From the Dnieper to the White Sea, And the Volga and the Far Caucasus. On the enemies, on the dogs, on the rich, And the evil vampire tsar. Fight them, kill them, the damned villains, Light up, the dawn of the better life. And after the bloody dawn The sun of truth and brotherly love will rise, Though we've paid a terrible price — With our blood, we bought the happiness of the land. And the era of freedom will come: The lies will be gone, the evil will be gone forever, And all nations will unite into one In the free kingdom of holy labor. Template:Small</poem> |
See also
- « La Marseillaise de la Commune », French revolutionary song created and used by the Paris Commune in 1871
- „Deutsche Arbeiter-Marseillaise“, German revolutionary song
Notes
References
Bibliography
Template:National anthems of Russia Template:Former anthems of Europe Template:National anthems of Asia