### Eight Hours
---------------------------------------------

The song “Eight Hours” was first published in musical form in 1878.  
The song’s lyrics were written by I.G. Blanchard, and the music was written by Rev. Jesse H. Jones.


We mean to make things over,  
We are tired of toil for naught    
With but bare enough to live upon  
And ne'er an hour for thought.  
We want to feel the sunshine  
And we want to smell the flow'rs  
We are sure that God has willed it  
And we mean to have eight hours;  
We're summoning our forces  
From the shipyard, shop and mill  
Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest  
Eight hours for what we will;  
Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest  
Eight hours for what we will.  
The beasts that graze the hillside,  
And the birds that wander free,  
In the life that God has meted,  
Have a better life than we.  
Oh, hands and hearts are weary,  
And homes are heavy with dole;  
If our life's to be filled with drudg'ry,  
What need of a human soul.  
Shout, shout the lusty rally,  
From shipyard, shop, and mill.  
Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest  
Eight hours for what we will;  
Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest  
Eight hours for what we will.  

The voice of God within us  
Is calling us to stand  
Erect as is becoming  
To the work of His right hand.  
Should he, to whom the Maker  
His glorious image gave,  
The meanest of His creatures crouch,  
A bread-and-butter slave?  
Let the shout ring down the valleys  
And echo from every hill.  
Ye deem they're feeble voices  
That are raised in labor's cause,  
But bethink ye of the torrent,  
And the wild tornado's laws.  
We say not toil's uprising  
In terror's shape will come,  
Yet the world were wise to listen  
To the monetary hum.  
Soon, soon the deep toned rally  
Shall all the nations thrill.  
Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest  
Eight hours for what we will;  
Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest  
Eight hours for what we will.  

From factories and workshops  
In long and weary lines,  
From all the sweltering forges,  
And from out the sunless mines,  
Wherever toil is wasting  
The force of life to live  
There the bent and battered armies  
Come to claim what God doth give  
And the blazon on the banner  
Doth with hope the nation fill:  
Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest  
Eight hours for what we will;  
Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest  
Eight hours for what we will.  
Hurrah, hurrah for labor,  
For it shall arise in might  
It has filled the world with plenty,  
It shall fill the world with light  
Hurrah, hurrah for labor,  
It is mustering all its powers  
And shall march along to victory  
With the banner of Eight Hours.  
Shout, shout the echoing rally  
Till all the welkin thrill.  
Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest  
Eight hours for what we will;  
Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest  
Eight hours for what we will.  

----------------------------------------------

### 八小时之歌

我们要把世界变个样，  
我们厌倦了白白的辛劳，  
光得到仅能糊口的工饷，  
从没有时间让我们去思考。  
我们要闻闻花香，  
我们要晒晒太阳，  
我们相信：  
上帝只允许八小时工作日。  
我们从船坞、车间和工场，  
召集了我们的队伍，争取  
（合唱）八小时工作，八小时休息，  
　　　　八小时归自己！  
　　　　八小时工作，八小时休息，  
　　　　八小时归自己！  
野兽在山边啃着青草，  
鸟儿在天际自在飞翔。  
上帝赐给它们的命运  
比我们还要来得强。  
满心憔悴啊筋疲力尽，  
哀愁笼罩我们的家庭。  
劳劳碌碌这样一辈子，  
我们何苦到世上来做人。  
从工厂、船坞和商店  
传来了群众激情的声浪：  
（合唱）八小时工作，八小时休息，  
　　　　八小时归自己！  
　　　　八小时工作，八小时休息，  
　　　　八小时归自己！  
胸中的神在召唤我们，  
唤我们挺起腰来直起身。  
这样我们才称得上  
是上帝亲手所造成。  
难道说上帝赋予我们  
这神圣的形象和光彩  
是要让我们屈尊做贱民？  
有口饭吃就甘当奴才？  
让我们一起来高呼吧  
呼声在高山低谷间回响：  
（合唱）八小时工作，八小时休息，  
　　　　八小时归自己！  
　　　　八小时工作，八小时休息，  
　　　　八小时归自己！  

不要小看这一片呼声，  
劳工的声音诚然微小，  
但它有洪水般凶猛的威力  
旋风般狂烈又粗豪。  
今天劳工们共同奋起  
我们凭借的不是暴力。  
世人哪一定会明白到  
这声声的警告不可小视。  
我们深沉的呼声来势汹涌 
整个世界也为之久久震荡：  
（合唱）八小时工作，八小时休息， 
　　　　八小时归自己！  
　　　　八小时工作，八小时休息，  
　　　　八小时归自己！  
受苦受难的劳动者大军  
一同来讨还我主的恩赐。  
他们排成长长的队伍，  
拖着疲累伤痛的身体。  
他们来自黑暗的矿井下，  
他们来自炽热的熔炉旁，  
他们来自工厂，来自作坊，  
在那里他们把性命糟蹋光！  
看吧他们红彤彤的旗帜  
已点燃起全世界的希望：  
（合唱）八小时工作，八小时休息，  
　　　　八小时归自己！  
　　　　八小时工作，八小时休息，  
　　　　八小时归自己！  
我们高呼劳工万万岁，  
工人一旦奋起便势不可挡。  
是它使世界变得富足，  
是它把光明洒遍尘寰。  
我们高呼劳工万万岁，  
我们把所有力量团聚在一起，  
高举“八小时工作”的旗帜，  
奋勇前进，凯旋而归。  
让我们一起来高呼，  
呼声响遍人间和天上：  
（合唱）八小时工作，八小时休息，  
　　　　八小时归自己！  
　　　　八小时工作，八小时休息，  
　　　　八小时归自己！  

### 链接
[请问《八小时之歌》英文原版是什么样的？](https://www.zhihu.com/question/65527260)  
[【中英字幕】八小时之歌 Eight hours（非完整版）](https://www.bilibili.com/video/av39328444/)
