Prinz Eugen, der edle Ritter

Zelte, Posten, Werda-Rufer!
Lust'ge Nacht am Donauufer!
Pferde stehn im Kreis umher
Angebunden an der Pflöcken;
An den engen Sattelböcken
Hangen Karabiner schwer.

Um das Feuer auf der Erde,
Vor den Hufen seiner Pferde
Liegt das östreichsche Pikett.
Auf dem Mantel liegt ein jeder;
Von den Tschackos weht die Feder,
Leutnant würfelt und Kornet.

Neben seinem müden Schecken
Ruht auf einer wollnen Decken
Der Trompeter ganz allein:
"Laßt die Knöchel, laßt die Karten!
Kaiserliche Feldstandarten
Wird ein Reiterlied erfreun!

"Vor acht Tagen die Affaire
Hab ich, zu Nutz dem ganzen Heere,
In gehör'gen Reim gebracht;
Selber auch gesetzt die Noten;
Drum, ihr Weißen und ihr Roten!
Merket auf und gebet Acht!"

Und er singt die neue Weise
Einmal, zweimal, dreimal leise
Denen Reitersleuten vor;
Und wie er zum letzten Male
Endet, bricht mit einem Male
Los der volle, kräft'ge Chor:

"Prinz Eugen, der edle Ritter!"
Hei, das klang wie Ungewitter
Weit in's Türkenlager hin.
Der Trompeter tät den Schnurrbart streichen
Und sich auf die Seite schleichen
Zu der Marketenderin.

Translation(s): ENG

List of language codes

Submitted by Emily Ezust [Administrator]

Authorship

• by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876), first published 1838 [ author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

• by Felix (August Bernhard) Draeseke (1835 - 1913), "Prinz Eugen, der edle Ritter", op. 17 no. 2, published 1894 [high voice and piano], from Buch des Frohmuths. Sechs heitere Gesänge, no. 2, Dresden, Hoffarth [
   text verified 1 time
  ]
• by Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Prinz Eugen, der edle Ritter", op. 92, published 1844. [
   text verified 1 time
  ]

Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):

• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , title 1: "Prince Eugene, noble knight", copyright ©

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project, and I have been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated.      - Emily Ezust

Prince Eugene, noble knight

 Tents, guards and sentry-calls!
 A merry night along the shore of the Danube!
 Horses stand around in circles
 tethered to pegs;
 On the narrow saddle-tree
 hang heavy carbines.
 
 Around the fire on the ground,
 at the hoofs of the horses,
 lies the Austrian squad.
 Upon his mantle each man lies;
 feathers wave from their shakos:
 the lieutenant and the cornet are playing at dice.
 
 By his weary dappled steed,
 upon a woollen blanket, rests
 the trumpeter, all alone:
 "Leave the dice, leave the cards!
 The imperial battle-standards
 should be celebrated with a cavalry song!
 
 "Our battle of eight days ago 
 I have, for the use of the entire army,
 put into fitting rhyme;
 I have also set it myself to music;
 therefore, whites and reds -
 mark me and give me your ears!"
 
 And he sings the new song
 softly: once, twice, thrice,
 to the men of the cavalry;
 and when for the last time
 he sings the ending, there erupts
 a full, mighty chorus:
 
 "Prince Eugene, noble knight!"
 hey!, that resounds like thunder
 far and wide, even into the Turkish camp.
 The trumpeter strokes his mustache,
 steps aside, and creeps off
 to the peddler woman.

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Authorship

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

  Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

  Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
  from the LiederNet Archive -- http://www.lieder.net/

  For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
  
  
  (licenses at lieder dot net)
  
  
  

• a text in German (Deutsch) by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876), first published 1838
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Felix Draeseke, Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe. Go to the text.

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.