Ravachol

Liberté – Egalité – Fraternité

1880[ish]

Jean Maitron, Le Mouvement Anarchiste en france, Vol 1. Paris, Maspero, 1975

Source: Jean Maitron, Le Mouvement Anarchiste en france, Vol 1. Paris, Maspero, 1975 Translated: for marxists.org by Mitch Abidor; CopyLeft: Creative Commons (Attribute & ShareAlike) marxists.org 2006. For a period in the 1880’s Ravachol earned his living as a musician. A contemporary passed down the lyrics to one of his songs.

Liberté – Egalité – Fraternité

Children of the same fatherland

Can’t you hear the voice

That cries out for democracy.

To arms against the bourgeoisie.

Let’s fight for independence

And for sacred liberty,

Through the efforts of our might

Let’s transform society.

Why, on this earth,

Do we betray ourselves

When we should love each other as brothers?

Our masters cause disunion;

Let’s chase away authoritarian chiefs

Full of hatred and iniquity.

Peoples, let’s suppress our borders

To the cry of “Long Live Equality!”

In order to establish equality

You need a heart full of hate.

Reduce the bourgeoisie to dust

Them instead of war

We’ll have brotherhood.