Bread and Roses

Bread and Roses

słowa: James Oppenheim, 1911
muzyka: Mimi Fariña, 1974

As [C]we come marching, marching in the beauty [F]of the [G]day
[C]A million darkened kitchens, a [D]thousand mill lofts [G]gray
Are [C]touched with all the radiance that a [F]sudden sun discl[G]oses
For the [C]people hear us [Am]singing bread and [F]roses, bread and [G]rooo[C]ooses

As we come marching, marching we battle too for men
For they are women’s children and we mother them again
Our days shall not be sweated from birth until life closes
Hearts starve as well as bodies, give us bread but give us rooooooses

As we come marching, marching, un-numbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient call for bread.
Small art and love and beauty their trudging spirits knew.
Yes, it is bread we fight for—but we fight for roses, too-ooooo!

As we go marching, marching we bring the greater days
For the rising of the women means the rising of the race
No more the drudge and idler, ten that toil where one reposes
But the sharing of life’s glories: bread and roses! bread and roooooooooses!

Alternatywna wersja ostatniej (czwartej) zwrotki, w której zamiast race (rasy, gdzie chodzi o „rasę ludzką”) jest class:

As we come marching, marching, we bring you hope at last
The rising of the women means the rising of the class
No more the drudge and idler, ten that toil where one reposes
But the sharing of life’s glories: bread and roses! bread and roooooooooses!


Melodia do wiersza Jamesa Oppenheima z 1911 roku powstała w 1974 roku. Wiersz Bread and Roses wiąże się ze strajkiem robotnic i robotników włókienniczych w Lawrence z 1912 roku, nazywanym właśnie „bread and roses strike”. Transparent o takiej treści miały nieść pikietujące robotnice.

Zobacz też polską wersję „Bread and Roses” w tłumaczeniu Mateusza Trzeciaka.