Context:
The song „The Workers of Vienna” was probably written in 1927, when during the so-called July Revolt in Vienna, 89 demonstrators were killed by gunshots into the crowd. The lyrics were written by Fritz Brügel and the melody was adapted from the Soviet march “White Army, Black Baron” by Samuel Pokrass.
It was performed for the first time in 1929 at the 2nd International Workers‘ Youth Day in Vienna. It gained then popularity in 1934 during and after the February battles between the Austrian workers‘ movement and the fascist government and organizations. The uprising was bloodily suppressed, but the song Die Arbeiter von Wien (The Workers of Vienna) found its way into the into the international anti-fascist song repertoire.
Original
Μαύρα κοράκια με νύχια γαμψά
πέσανε πάνω στην εργατιά.
Άγρια κράζουν για αίμα διψούν,
τον Δημητρόφ στην κρεμάλα να δουν.
Τον Ντανεφ και Ποπόφ, τον Τέλμαν κι άλλους
αντιφασίστες αρχηγούς,
και στην Καντόνα χιλιάδες βάζουν
προλεταρίους ηρωικούς
Mavra korákia me níchia gampsá
pésane páno stin ergatiá.
Ágria krázun chia èma thipsún,
ton Dimitróf stin kremála na thun.
Ton Tanef ke Popóf, ton Télman kiállus
antifasístes archigús,
ke stin Kantóna chiliádes vázun
proletaríus iroikús
Anamız amele sınıfıdır
Yurdumuz bütün cihandır bizim
Hazırlandık son kanlı kavgaya
Başta bayrağımız sosyalizm
Fabrikalarda biz tarlalarda biziz
Biziz hayatı yaratan
Din farkı bilmeyiz dil farkı bilmeyiz
Sanki doğduk bir anadan.
Wie auch die Lüge uns schmähend umkreist,
Altes besiegend erhebt sich der Geist.
Kerker und Eisen zerbricht seine Macht,
Wenn wir uns rüsten zur letzten Schlacht.
So flieg, du flammende, du rote Fahne,
Voran dem Wege, den wir zieh‘n.
Wir sind der Zukunft getreue Kämpfer*innen,
Wir sind die Arbeiter*innen von Wien.
English translation
Black crows with clawed claws
fell upon the workers.
Wildly squawking for blood,
to see Dimitroff on the gallows.
Tanev and Popov, Thälmann and other
anti-fascist leaders,
and in Guangzhou they put thousands
proletarians heroes
Our mother is the working class
Our homeland is the whole world
We prepared for the last bloody fight
Socialism as our flag
We are us in the factories, we are us in the fields
We are the creators of life
We know no difference in religion, we know no difference in language
As if we were born from one mother.
Just as the lie circles us reviling,
Conquering the old, the spirit rises.
Dungeon and iron break his power,
When we prepare for the final battle.
So fly, you flaming, you red flag,
Ahead the path we go.
We are faithful fighters of the future,
We are the workers of Vienna.