The Internationale


"The Internationale" is a left-wing anthem. It has been a standard of the socialist movement since the late nineteenth century, when the Second International adopted it as its official anthem. The title arises from the "First International", an alliance of workers which held a congress in 1864. The author of the anthem's lyrics, Eugène Pottier, an anarchist, attended this congress.
The original French refrain of the song is C'est la lutte finale / Groupons-nous et demain / L'Internationale / Sera le genre humain.. "The Internationale" has been translated into many languages.
"The Internationale" has been celebrated by anarchists, communists, socialists, democratic socialists, and social democrats.
In 1912–44, the Internationale was used as an anthem of the Bolshevik Party, the Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union when it was replaced with the more Soviet-centric Hymn of the Soviet Union. It was also used as a national anthem by the Chinese Soviet Republic, Bavarian Soviet Republic, Slovak Soviet Republic, and Hungarian Soviet Republic.
The Internationale is one of the most universally translated anthems in history.

Copyright

The original French words were written in June 1871 by Eugène Pottier and were originally intended to be sung to the tune of "La Marseillaise". In 1888 Pierre De Geyter set the earlier lyrics to a new melody, composed especially for Pottier's lyrics. De Geyter's melody was first publicly performed in July 1888, and soon thereafter Pottier's lyrics became closely associated with, and widely used with, De Geyter's new melody. Thus "The Internationale" gained an identity that was entirely distinct, and no longer in any way directly tied to the French national anthem, the Marseillaise.
In a successful 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. In 1904, Pierre's brother Adolphe was induced by the Lille mayor 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.
In 1972 "Montana Edition", owned by, bought the rights to the song for 5,000 Deutschmark, first for the territory of West Germany, then in East Germany, then worldwide. East Germany paid Montana Edition 20,000 DM every year for its rights to play the music. Pierre De Geyter died in 1932, causing the copyrights to expire in 2002. Luckhardt's German text is public domain since 1984.
As the "Internationale" music was published before 1 July 1909 outside the United States of America, it is in the public domain in the United States. As of 2013, Pierre De Geyter's music is also in the public domain in countries and areas whose copyright durations are authors' lifetime plus 80 years or less. Due to France's wartime copyright extensions, SACEM claimed that the music was still copyrighted in France until October 2014.
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.

Original French lyrics

Translations into other languages

German Translation

The German version, "Die Internationale", was used by East German anti-Stalinists in the failed 1953 uprising and again during the 1989 protests which nonviolently toppled Communism in East Germany. When numerous East Germans were arrested for protesting the 40th anniversary celebrations for the GDR, many of them sang the Internationale in police custody to imply that they, rather than their captors, were the real revolutionaries.
Luckhardt's version, the standard German translation, of the final line of the chorus tellingly reads: "Die Internationale erkämpft das Menschenrecht". In 1989, this was coupled with the chant: "Volkspolizei, steh dem Volke bei"
Here follows the most known version, the 1910 translation by Emil Luckhardt:
1910 version
-
GermanLiteral English translation

Wacht auf, Verdammte dieser Erde,
die stets man noch zum Hungern zwingt!
Das Recht wie Glut im Kraterherde
nun mit Macht zum Durchbruch dringt!
Reinen Tisch macht mit dem Bedränger!
Heer der Sklaven, wache auf!
Ein Nichts zu sein, tragt es nicht länger
Alles zu werden, strömt zuhauf...
Refrain
Auf zum letzten Gefecht!
Die Internationale
erkämpft das Menschenrecht! :|
Es rettet uns kein höh'res Wesen,
kein Gott, kein Kaiser noch Tribun!
Uns aus dem Elend zu erlösen
können wir nur selber tun!
Leeres Wort: des Armen Rechte!
Leeres Wort: des Reichen Pflicht!
Unmündig nennt man uns und Knechte,
duldet die Schmach nun länger nicht!
Refrain
In Stadt und Land, ihr Arbeitsleute,
wir sind die stärkste der Partei'n!
Die Müßiggänger schiebt beiseite!
Diese Welt muss unser sein!
Unser Blut sei nicht mehr der Raben,
Nicht der mächt'gen Geier Fraß!
Erst wenn wir sie vertrieben haben
dann scheint die Sonn' ohn' Unterlass!
Refrain

Wake up, wretched of this Earth
Who are constantly forced to hunger!
Justice, like embers in the crater's hearth
Now with power pushes to the breakthrough!
Clear out the oppressors!
Army of slaves, awaken!
Being a nothing is no longer tolerable
To become everything is rising up...
Refrain
On to the last fight!
The Internationale
Fights for human right! :|
No higher power will save us,
No God, no Caesar, no tribune.
To redeem us out of misery,
Only we ourselves can do!
Empty words: "the rights of the poor"!
Empty words: "the duties of the rich"!
They call us immature and only servants,
Tolerate the humiliation no longer!
Refrain
In the city and the country, you working people
We are the strongest of the parties!
The dalliers push to the side!
This world must belong to us!
Our blood isn't for the ravens,
Or food for powerful vultures!
Once we have driven them out,
The sun will shine without interruption!
Refrain

Russian Translation

The [|Russian version] was initially translated by Arkady Kots in 1902 and printed in London in Zhizn, a Russian émigré magazine. The first Russian version consisted of three stanzas 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. 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. On 15 March 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 full song is as follows:
Russian translationTransliteration Literal English translation
Вставай, проклятьем заклеймённый,
Весь мир голодных и рабов!
Кипит наш разум возмущённый
И в смертный бой вести готов.
Весь мир насилья мы разрушим
До основанья, а затем
Мы наш, мы новый мир построим, –
Кто был ничем, тот станет всем.
Припев:
Это есть наш последний
И решительный бой;
С Интернационалом
Воспрянет род людской!
Никто не даст нам избавленья:
Ни бог, ни царь и не герой!
Добьёмся мы освобожденья
Своею собственной рукой.
Чтоб свергнуть гнёт рукой умелой,
Отвоевать своё добро, –
Вздувайте горн и куйте смело,
Пока железо горячо!
Припев
Довольно кровь сосать, вампиры,
Тюрьмой, налогом, нищетой!
У вас вся власть, все блага мира,
А наше право звук пустой !
Мы жизнь построим по-иному –
И вот наш лозунг боевой:
Вся власть народу трудовому!
А дармоедов всех долой!
Припев
Презренны вы в своём богатстве,
Угля и стали короли!
Вы ваши троны, тунеядцы,
На наших спинах возвели.
Заводы, фабрики, палаты –
Всё нашим создано трудом.
Пора! Мы требуем возврата
Того, что взято грабежом.
Припев
Довольно королям в угоду
Дурманить нас в чаду войны!
Война тиранам! Мир Народу!
Бастуйте, армии сыны!
Когда ж тираны нас заставят
В бою геройски пасть за них –
Убийцы, в вас тогда направим
Мы жерла пушек боевых!
Припев
Лишь мы, работники всемирной
Великой армии труда,
Владеть землёй имеем право,
Но паразиты никогда!
И если гром великий грянет
Над сворой псов и палачей, –
Для нас всё так же солнце станет
Сиять огнём своих лучей.
Припев
Vstavaj, prokljatjem zaklejmjonnyj,
Vesj mir golodnyh i rabov!
Kipit naš razum vozmuščjonnyj
I v smertnyj boj vesti gotov.
Vesj mir nasiljja my razrušim
Do osnovanjja, a zatem
My naš, my novyj mir postroim, –
Kto byl ničem, tot stanet vsem.
Pripev:
Eto jestj naš poslednij
I rešiteljnyj boj;
S Internacionalom
vosprjanet rod ljudskoj!
Nikto ne dast nam izbavlenjja:
Ni bog, ni carj i ne geroj!
Dobjjomsja my osvoboždenjja
Svojeju sobstvennoj rukoj.
Čtob svergnutj gnjot rukoj umeloj,
Otvojevatj svojo dobro, –
Vzduvajte gorn i kujte smelo,
Poka železo gorjačo!
Pripev
Dovoljno krovj sosatj, vampiry,
Tjurjmoj, nalogom, niščetoj!
U vas vsja vlastj, vse blaga mira,
A naše pravo zvuk pustoj!
My žiznj postroim po-inomu –
I vot naš lozung bojevoj:
Vsja vlastj narodu trudovomu!
A darmojedov vseh doloj!
Pripev
Prezrenny vy v svojom bogatstve,
Uglja i stali koroli!
Vy vaši trony, tunejadcy,
Na naših spinah vozveli.
Zavody, fabriki, palaty –
Vsjo našim sozdano trudom.
Pora! My trebujem vozvrata
Tovo, čto vzjato grabežom.
Pripev
Dovoljno koroljam v ugodu
Durmanitj nas v čadu vojny!
Vojna tiranam! Mir Narodu!
Bastujte, armii syny!
Kogda ž tirany nas zastavjat
V boju gerojski pastj za nih –
Ubijcy, v vas togda napravim
my žerla pušek bojevyh!
Pripev
Lišj my, rabotniki vsemirnoj
Velikoj armii truda,
Vladetj zemljoj imejem pravo,
No parazity nikogda!
I jesli grom velikij grjanet
Nad svoroj psov i palačej, –
Dlja nas vsjo tak že solnce stanet
sijatj ognjom svoih lučej.
Pripev
Stand up, ones who are branded by the curse,
All the world's starving and enslaved!
Our outraged minds are boiling,
Ready to lead us into a deadly fight.
We will destroy this world of violence
Down to the foundations, and then
We will build our new world.
He who was nothing will become everything!
Refrain:'''
This is our final
and decisive battle;
With the Internationale
humanity will rise up!
No one will grant us deliverance,
Not god, nor tsar, nor hero.
We will win our liberation,
With our very own hands.
To throw down oppression with a skilled hand,
To take back what is ours –
Fire up the furnace and hammer boldly,
while the iron is still hot!
Refrain
You've sucked enough of our blood, you vampires,
With prison, taxes and poverty!
You have all the power, all the blessings of the world,
And our rights are but an empty sound!
We'll make our own lives in a different way –
And here is our battle cry:
All the power to the people of labour!
And away with all the parasites!
Refrain
Contemptible you are in your wealth,
You kings of coal and steel!
You had your thrones, parasites,
At our backs erected.
All the factories, all the chambers –
All were made by our hands.
It's time! We demand the return
Of that which was stolen from us.
Refrain
Enough of the will of kings
Stupefying us into the haze of war!
War to the tyrants! Peace to the people!
Go on strike, sons of the army!
And if the tyrants tell us
To fall heroically in battle for them –
Then, murderers, we will point
The muzzles of our cannons at you!
Refrain
Only we, the workers of the worldwide
Great army of labour,
Have the right to own the land,
But the parasites never!
And if the great thunder rolls
Over the pack of dogs and executioners,
For us, the sun will forever
Shine on with its fiery beams.
Refrain

English Translations

The traditional British version of "The Internationale" is usually sung in three verses, while the American version, written by Charles Hope Kerr 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 rather than the French pronunciation of.
Billy Bragg was asked by Pete Seeger to sing "The Internationale" with him at the Vancouver Folk Festival in 1989. Bragg thought the traditional English lyrics were archaic and unsingable, and composed a new set of lyrics. The recording was released on his album The Internationale along with reworkings of other socialist songs.
British version
American version
Billy Bragg version

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!
Chorus
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.
Chorus
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.
Chorus

Arise, ye prisoners of starvation!
Arise, ye wretched of the earth!
For justice thunders condemnation:
A better world's in birth!
No more tradition's chains shall bind us;
Arise, ye slaves, no more in thrall!
The earth shall rise on new foundations:
We have been nought, we shall be all!
Chorus
'Tis the final conflict;
Let each stand in his place.
The International working class
Shall be the human race!
'




We want no condescending saviors
To rule us from a 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.
Chorus
Toilers from shops and fields united,
The union we of 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 noisome birds of prey
Shall vanish from the sky some morning,
The blessed sunlight still will stay.
Chorus

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
Chorus
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!
Chorus

Chinese Translation

"The Internationale" in Chinese, literally the "International Song", was first translated on 15 June 1923 from the [|French original] by Qu Qiubai,The Internationale#cite note-24| a leading member of the Communist Party of China in the late 1920s. His translation has transliterated "The Internationale" as Yīngdénàxióngnà'ěr when singing the phrase in Standard Chinese. As he was executed by the Kuomintang in 1935, his Chinese translation is in the public domain wherever the duration of copyright is an author's lifetime plus up to 70 years, including Chinese-speaking Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Singapore. The three stanzas of this version roughly correspond to the three stanzas of Arkady Kots' Russian version and the first, second, and sixth French lyrics by Eugène Pottier. The third, fourth and fifth stanzas of the French original are not used in this version.
Traditional ChineseSimplified ChinesePinyinLiteral English translation
起來,饑寒交迫的奴隸,
起來,受人污辱咒罵的!
起來,天下飢寒的奴隸!
滿腔熱血沸騰,
拼死一戰決矣。
舊社會破壞得徹底,
新社會創造得光華。
莫道我們一錢不值,
從今要普有天下。
副歌:
這是最後的鬥爭,
團結起來到明天,
英特納雄耐爾
就一定要實現。
這是我們的
最后決死爭,
同英德納雄納爾
人類方重興!
這是我們的
最后決死爭,
同英德納雄納爾
人類方重興!
副歌
是誰創造了人類世界?
是我們勞動羣衆。
一切歸勞動者所有,
哪能容得寄生蟲!
最可恨那些毒蛇猛獸,
吃盡了我們的血肉。
一旦把他們消滅乾淨,
鮮紅的太陽照遍全球!
副歌
起来,饥寒交迫的奴隶,
起来,受人污辱咒骂的!
起来,天下饥寒的奴隶!
满腔热血沸腾,
拼死一战决矣。
旧社会破坏得彻底,
新社会创造得光华。
莫道我们一钱不值,
从今要普有天下。
副歌:
这是最后的斗争,
团结起来到明天,
英特纳雄耐尔
就一定要实现。
这是我们的
最后决死争,
同英德纳雄纳尔
人类方重兴!
这是我们的
最后决死争,
同英德纳雄纳尔
人类方重兴!
副歌
是谁创造了人类世界?
是我们劳动群众。
一切归劳动者所有,
哪能容得寄生虫!
最可恨那些毒蛇猛兽,
吃尽了我们的血肉。
一旦把他们消灭干净,
鲜红的太阳照遍全球!
副歌
Qǐ lái, jī hán jiāo pò de nú lì,
Qǐ lái, shòu rén wū rǔ zhòu mà dí!
Qǐ lái, tiān xià jī hán dí nú lì!
Mǎn qiāng rè xuè fèi téng,
Pīn sǐ yí zhàn jué yǐ.
Jiù shè huì pò huài dé chè dǐ,
Xīn shè huì chuàng zào dé guāng huá.
Mò dào wǒ mén yī qián bù zhí,
Cóng jīn yào pǔ yǒu tiān xià.
Fù gē:
Zhè shì zuì hòu de dòu zhēng,
Tuán jié qǐ lái, dào míng tiān,
Yīng tè nà xióng nài'ěr
Jiù yí dìng yào shí xiàn.
Zhè shì wǒ mén dí
Zuì hòu jué sǐ zhēng,
Tóng yīng dé nà xióng nà ěr
Rén lèi fāng zhòng xīng!
Zhè shì wǒ mén dí
Zuì hòu jué sǐ zhēng,
Tóng yīng dé nà xióng nà ěr
Rén lèi fāng zhòng xīng!
Fù gē
Shì shuí chuàng zào liǎo rén lèi shì jiè?
Shì wǒ mén láo dòng qún zhòng.
Yī qiē guī láo dòng zhě suǒ yǒu,
Nǎ néng róng dé jì shēng chóng!
Zuì kě hèn nà xiē dú shé měng shòu,
Chī jìn liǎo wǒ mén dí xuè ròu.
Yī dàn bǎ tā mén xiāo miè gān jìng,
Xiān hóng dí tài yáng zhào biàn quán qiú!
Fù gē
Arise, slaves afflicted by hunger and cold,
Arise, slaves afflicted by hunger and cold,
Arise, suffering people all over the world!
The blood which fills my chest has boiled over,
We must struggle for truth!
The old world shall be destroyed like fallen petals and splashed water,
Arise, slaves, arise!
Do not say that we have nothing,
We shall be the masters of the world!
Chorus:
This is the final struggle,
Unite together towards tomorrow,
The Internationale
Shall certainly be realised.
There has never been any saviour of the world,
Nor deities, nor emperors on which to depend.
To create Mankind's happiness
We must entirely depend on ourselves!
We shall retake the fruits of our labour,
And let the mind burst free from its prison cell.
Let the flames in the furnace burn red-hot,
For only when the iron is hot will we succeed in forging it!
Chorus
Who is it that created the world of humankind?
It is us, the masses.
Everything is for workers,
How can parasites be accommodated!
hate those poisonous snakes and savage beasts the most,
Eating up our flesh and blood.
Once they are entirely destroyed,
The red sun will shine all over the globe!
Chorus

Xiao San's version

This version was translated from the Russian version in 1923 by the poet Xiao San, friend of Mao Zedong. This version is the most common and is also the anthem of the Communist Party of China.The Internationale#cite note-23| Xiao's version was a revision of Qu's translation, which did not see widespread use due to it being written in Classical Chinese, although the phrase "The Internationale" was similarly transliterated as Yīngtènàxióngnài'ěr. When the Chinese Soviet Republic was established in 1931, it was decided to be its national anthem.The Internationale#cite note-25| The version was officially revised in 1962 by China National Radio and Chinese Musicians' Association.
The song was a rallying anthem of the demonstrators at the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, and was repeatedly sung both while marching to the Square and within the Square.
...many hundreds of people appeared on the street. They ran after the trucks and shouted protest slogans. A few stones were thrown. The soldiers opened fire with live ammunition. The crowd threw themselves on the ground, but quickly followed the convoy again. The more shots were fired, the more the crowd got determined and outraged. Suddenly they started singing "The Internationale"; they armed themselves with stones and threw them towards the soldiers. There were also a few Molotov cocktails and the last truck was set on fire.

Traditional ChineseSimplified ChinesePinyinLiteral English translation
起來,饑寒交迫的奴隸,
起來,全世界受苦的人!
滿腔的熱血已經沸騰,
要為真理而鬥爭!
舊世界打個落花流水,
奴隸們起來起來!
不要說我們一無所有,
我們要做天下的主人!
副歌:
這是最後的鬥爭,
團結起來到明天,
英特納雄耐爾
就一定要實現。
從來就沒有什麼救世主,
也不靠神仙皇帝。
要創造人類的幸福,
全靠我們自己!
我們要奪回勞動果實,
讓思想衝破牢籠。
快把那爐火燒得通紅,
趁熱打鐵才能成功!
副歌
是誰創造了人類世界?
是我們勞動群眾。
一切歸勞動者所有,
哪能容得寄生蟲!
最可恨那些毒蛇猛獸,
吃盡了我們的血肉。
一旦把他們消滅乾淨,
鮮紅的太陽照遍全球!
副歌
起来,饥寒交迫的奴隶,
起来,全世界受苦的人!
满腔的热血已经沸腾,
要为真理而斗争!
旧世界打个落花流水,
奴隶们起来起来!
不要说我们一无所有,
我们要做天下的主人!
副歌:
这是最后的斗争,
团结起来到明天,
英特纳雄耐尔
就一定要实现。
从来就没有什么救世主,
也不靠神仙皇帝。
要创造人类的幸福,
全靠我们自己!
我们要夺回劳动果实,
让思想冲破牢笼。
快把那炉火烧得通红,
趁热打铁才能成功!
副歌
是谁创造了人类世界?
是我们劳动群众。
一切归劳动者所有,
哪能容得寄生虫!
最可恨那些毒蛇猛兽,
吃尽了我们的血肉。
一旦把他们消灭干净,
鲜红的太阳照遍全球!
副歌
Qǐ lái, jī hán jiāo pò de nú lì,
Qǐ lái, quán shì jiè shòu kǔ de rén!
Mǎn qiāng de rè xuè yǐ jīng fèi téng,
Yào wèi zhēn lǐ ér dòu zhēng!
Jiù shì jiè dǎ gè luò huā liú shuǐ,
Nú lì men, qǐ lái!, qǐ lái!
Bú yào shuō wǒ men yì wú suǒ yǒu,
Wǒ men yào zuò tiān xià de zhǔ rén.
Fù gē:
Zhè shì zuì hòu de dòu zhēng,
Tuán jié qǐ lái, dào míng tiān,
Yīng tè nà xióng nài ěr
Jiù yí dìng yào shí xiàn.
Cóng lái jiù méi yǒu shén me jiù shì zhǔ,
Yě bú kào shén xiān huáng dì.
Yào chuàng zào rén lèi de xìng fú,
Quán kào wǒ men zì jǐ.
Wǒ men yào duó huí láo dòng guǒ shí,
Ràng sī xiǎng chōng pò láo lóng.
Kuài bǎ nà lú huǒ shāo de tōng hóng,
Chèn rè dǎ tiě cái néng chéng gōng.
Fù gē
Shì shéi chuàng zào le rén lèi shì jiè?
Shì wǒ men láo dòng qún zhòng.
Yí qiè guī láo dòng zhě suǒ yǒu,
Nǎ néng róng de jì shēng chóng!
Zuì kě hèn nà xiē dú shé měng shòu,
Chī jìn le wǒ men de xuè ròu.
Yí dàn bǎ tā men xiāo miè gān jìng,
Xiān hóng de tài yáng zhào biàn quán qiú.
Fù gē
Arise, slaves afflicted by hunger and cold,
Arise, suffering people all over the world!
The blood which fills our chest has boiled over,
We must struggle for truth!
The old world shall be destroyed
Arise, slaves, arise!
Do not say that we have nothing,
We shall be the masters of the world!
Chorus:
This is the final struggle,
Unite together towards tomorrow,
The Internationale
Shall certainly be realised.
There has never been any saviour of the world,
Nor deities, nor emperors on which to depend.
To create Humankind's happiness
We must entirely depend on ourselves!
We shall retake the fruits of our labour,
And let the mind burst free from its prison cell.
Let the flames in the furnace burn red-hot,
For only when the iron is hot will we succeed in forging it!
Chorus
Who is it that created the world of humankind?
It is us, the masses.
Everything is for workers,
How can parasites be accommodated!
The most detestable are those poisonous snakes and savage beasts
Eating up our flesh and blood.
Exterminate them all at once,
The red sun will shine all over the globe!
Chorus

National Revolutionary Army version

When commemorating the 55th anniversary of the Paris Commune on 18 March 1926, the National Revolutionary Army printed a music sheet with three lyrics of "The Internationale" in Chinese, roughly corresponding to the first, second, and sixth French lyrics by Eugène Pottier. When singing refrain twice after each lyric, "The Internationale" is transliterated first as Yīngtè'ěrlāxióngnà'ěr and second as Yīngtè'ěrnàxióngnà'ěr.
Traditional ChineseSimplified ChinesePinyinLiteral English translation
起來飢寒交迫的奴隸,
起來全世界上的罪人!
滿腔的熱血已經沸騰,
作一最後的戰爭!
舊世界打他落花流水,
奴隸們起來起來!
莫要說我們一錢不值,
我們要做天下的主人!
(副歌)
這是最後的爭鬥,
團結起來到明天,
英特爾拉雄納爾
就一定要實現。
從來沒有什麼救世主,
不是神仙也不是皇帝。
更不是那些英雄豪傑,
全靠自己救自己!
要殺盡那些強盜狗命,
就要有犧牲精神。
快快的當這爐火通紅,
趁火打鐵才能夠成功!
(副歌)
誰是世界上的創造者?
只有我們勞苦的工農。
一切只歸生產者所有,
哪裡容得寄生蟲!
我們的熱血流了多少,
只把那殘酷惡獸。
倘若是一旦殺滅盡了,
一輪紅日照遍五大洲!
(副歌)
起来饥寒交迫的奴隶,
起来全世界上的罪人!
满腔的热血已经沸腾,
作一最后的战争!
旧世界打他落花流水,
奴隶们起来起来!
莫要说我们一钱不值,
我们要做天下的主人!
(副歌)
这是最后的争斗,
团结起来到明天,
英特尔拉雄纳尔
就一定要实现。
从来没有什么救世主,
不是神仙也不是皇帝。
更不是那些英雄豪杰,
全靠自己救自己!
要杀尽那些强盗狗命,
就要有牺牲精神。
快快的当这炉火通红,
趁火打铁才能够成功!
(副歌)
谁是世界上的创造者?
只有我们劳苦的工农。
一切只归生产者所有,
哪里容得寄生虫!
我们的热血流了多少,
只把那残酷恶兽。
倘若是一旦杀灭尽了,
一轮红日照遍五大洲!
(副歌)
Qǐlái, jīhánjiāopò de núlì,
Qǐlái, quánshìjiè shàng de zuìrén!
Mǎnqiāng de rèxuè yǐjīng fèiténg,
Zuòyí zuìhòude zhànzhēng!
Jiù shìjiè dǎ tā luòhuāliúshuǐ,
Núlìmen, qǐlái, qǐlái!
Mò yào shuō wǒmen yìqiánbùzhí,
Wǒmen yào zuò tiānxià de zhǔrén.
'
Zhè shì zuìhòu de zhēngdòu,
Tuánjié qǐlái dào míngtiān,
Yīngtè'ěrlāxióngnà'ěr
Jiù yídìng yào shíxiàn.
Cónglái méiyǒu shénme jiùshìzhǔ,
Búshì shénxiān yĕ búshì huángdì.
Gèng búshì nàxiē yīngxióng háojié,
Quán kào zìjǐ jiù zìjǐ!
Yào shājìn nàxiē qiángdào gǒumìng,
Jiù yào yǒu xīshēng jīngshén.
Kuàikuài de dāngzhè lúhuǒ tōnghóng,
Chènhuǒdǎtiě cái nénggòu chénggōng!
'
Shéi shì shìjièshàng de chuàngzàozhě?
Zhǐyǒu wǒmen láokǔ de gōngnóng.
Yíqiè zhǐ guī shēngchǎnzhě suǒyǒu,
Nǎlǐ róngde jìshēngchóng!
Wǒmen de rèxuè liúle duōshǎo,
Zhǐ bǎ nà cánkù èshòu.
Tǎngruòshì yídàn shāmiè jìnliǎo,
Yìlún hóngrì zhào biàn wǔdàzhōu.
Arise, slaves afflicted by hunger and cold,
Arise, persecuted all over the world!
The blood which fills my chest has boiled over,
Make one last war!
The old world, it shall be destroyed.
Arise, slaves, arise!
Do not say that we are worth nothing,
We shall be the masters of the world!
Refrain
This is the final struggle,
Unite together towards tomorrow,
The Internationale
Shall certainly be realised.
There has never been any saviour of the world,
Nor deities, nor emperors.
Not even those heroes,
Entirely depend on ourselves to save ourselves!
To fully kill those bandits' crestless lives
Requires sacrificing spirit.
Quickly, while this furnace burns red-hot,
For only when the iron is fired will we succeed in forging it!
Refrain
Who is the creator of the world?
Only us, hard working labours and farmers.
Everything is for producers only,
Where can parasites be accommodated!
How much hot blood of ours have bled,
Only to handle that cruel and evil monster.
If it is someday fully killed,
A red sun will shine all over the five continents!
Refrain

Shen Baoji's version

The third, fourth, and fifth French stanzas are not sung in Chinese in the above two versions of Qu and the National Revolutionary Army. Chinese translator Shen Baoji has made a complete Chinese translation, published in 1957, of all six French stanzas. Shen's translation has transliterated "The Internationale" as Yīngdāi'ěrnàxī'àonà'ěr in the stanzas, different from the transliterations of Qu and the National Revolutionary Army. As the Copyright Law of the People's Republic of China grants individuals copyright for their lifetime plus 50 years, Shen's translation is expected to remain copyrighted there until the end of 2052.

Other Chinese Translations

In addition to the Mandarin version, "The Internationale" also has Cantonese and Taiwanese Hokkien versions, occasionally used in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The word "Internationale" is not translated in either version.

Filipino Translation

There were three Filipino versions of the song. The first was composed by Juan Feleo of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas-1930 under the title "Pandaigdigang Awit ng Manggagawa" which was translated from the English version. The second version was a retranslation of the first two stanzas on the basis of the French original by the Communist Party of the Philippines. The third version, which introduced the third stanza, was derived from both Chinese and French versions and translated by Jose Maria Sison, the CPP's founding chairman.
PKP-1930 Version1969 CPP Version2016 CPP Version

Bangon sa pagkakagupiling
Bangon ka uring alipin
Sa daigdig iyong sikapin
Sosyalismo'y tanghalin
Halina at ating usigin
Laya nating sinisiil
Buhay, dugo ay puhunanin
Tanikala ay lagutin
Koro
Ito'y huling paglalaban
Tunay na kalayaan
Ng Internasyunal
Sa buong daigdigan
Wala tayong maaasahan
Lingap sa mga gahaman
Kaya tayo'y magbagong buhay
Hirap nati'y lunasan
Manggagawa, huwag mong tulutan
Apihin ka habang buhay
Hanapin mo ang kalayaan
Panlulupig ay wakasan

Bangon sa pagkakabusos
Bangon, alipin ng gutom
Katarunga'y bulkang sasabog
Sa huling paghuhukom
Gapos ng kahapo'y lagutin
Kayong api ay magbalikwas
Tayo ngayo'y inaalipin
Subalit atin ang bukas
Koro
Ito'y huling paglalaban
Magkaisa ng masaklaw
Ng Internasyunal
Ang sangkatauhan
Wala tayong maasasahang
Bathala o manunubos
Kaya ang ating kaligtasa'y
Nasa ating pagkilos
Manggagawa, bawiin ang yaman
Kaisipa'y palayain
Ang maso ay ating hawakan
Kinabukasa'y pandayin

Bangon sa pagkakabusos
Bangon, mga bihag ng gutom
Katwiran ay bulkang sasabog
Buong lakas na dadagundong
Gapos ng kahapo'y lagutin
Kayong api ay magbalikwas
Tayo ngayo'y inaalipin
Subalit atin ang bukas
Koro
Ito'y huling paglalaban
Magkaisa ng masaklaw
ng Internasyunal
Ang sangkatauhan
Wala tayong maasasahang
Bathala o manunubos
Kaya ang ating kaligtasa'y
Nasa ating pagkilos
Manggagawa, bawiin ang yaman
Kaisipa'y palayain
Ang maso ay ating hawakan
Kinabukasa'y pandayin
Manggagawa at magsasaka
Ating Partido'y dakila
Palayasin ang mga gamahan
Sa anakpawis ang daigdigan
Wakasan ang pagsasamantala
Ng mga buwitre at uwak
Sa umaga'y silang maglaho
Mapulang araw ay sisikat

Other Translations