I was doing some resarch to figure out what sorts of songs the Lehr-und-Wehr Verein might have sung when marching or drilling in late 19th century Chicago. It's turned out to be pretty tough to identify "Socialist" songs from the pre-1917 era. One song I've been research is the song (poem?) composed by Georg Herwegh in 1863 as the "Bundeslied für den Allgemeinen Deutschen Arbeiterverein" - an anthem for what eventually became the German Social Democratic Party.
I haven't been able to find a recorded version of the words set to the appropriate music for the 19th century. From 1863 to about 1900, it had one setting, and then apparently a much better tune was composed which took over. Here's the post-1900 version:
I really like this version. Here's another, with accordion, by the Red Choir of the Marxist–Leninist Party of Germany:
Anyway, in October of 1886, the eight anarchists convicted in the Haymarket incident were given a chance to speak, and Albert Parsons kicked off his speech with these words:
Toil and pray! The world cries cold;
Speed thy prayer, for time is gold
At thy door Need's subtle tread;
Pray in haste! for time is bread.
This is an English translation of the Herwegh song:
Bet und arbeit! ruft die Welt,
Bete kurz! denn Zeit ist Geld.
An die Türe pocht die Not —
Bete kurz! denn Zeit ist Brot.
I haven't been able to discover whether Parsons translated it himself, or if that English translation of the song was already around in 1886. I'll keep looking. Please let me know if you have any ideas.