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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Translation Singable translation by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870)

Och! I have you not heard, Pat, of many...
Language: English 
Och! I have you not heard, Pat, of many a joke
That's made by the wits 'gainst your own country folk;
They may talk of our bulls, but it must be confest,
That, of all the bullmakers, John Bull is the best.
I'm just come from London, their capital town,
A fine place it is, faith, I'm sorry to own;
For there you can't shew your sweet face in the street,
But a Bull is the very first man that you meet.

Now, I went to Saint Paul's,  'twas just after my landing.
A great house they've built, that has scarce room to stand in;
And there, gramachree! Won't you think it a joke,
The lower I whisper'd, the louder I spoke!
Then I went to the Tower to see the wild beasts,
Thinking out of my wits to be frighten'd at least;
But these wild beasts I found standing tame on a shelf,
Not one of the kit half so wild as myself.

Next I made for the Bank, Sir, for there, I was told,
Were oceans of silver and mountains of gold;
But I soon found this talk was mere bluster and vapour
For the gold and the silver were all made of paper.
A friend took me into the Parliament house,
And there sat the Speaker as mum as a mouse,
For in spite of his name, won't you think this a joke tho',
The speaker he whom they all of them spoke to.

Of all the strange places I ever was in,
Wasn't that now the place for a hubbub and din.
While some made a bother to keep others quiet,
And the rest call'd for "Order" meaning just, make a riot.
Then should you hereafter be told of some joke,
By the Englishmen made  'gainst your own country folk,
Tell this tale, my dear honey, and stoutly protest,
That of all the bullmakers, John Bull is the best.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [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 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "English bulls", alternate title: "The Irishman in London", WoO. 152 (25 irische Lieder) no. 12, G. 223 no. 12 (1810/3) [ voice, violin, violoncello, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Georg Pertz) , "Englische Schnitzer"


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2004-12-11
Line count: 32
Word count: 323

Englische Schnitzer
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
 O hörtest du, Pat, von manch stichelndem Wort,
 Manchen Märchen, ersonnen uns Iren zum Tort?
 Sie zeihn uns der Schnitzer, doch leugne wer kann,
 Im Schnitzern geht allen John Bull noch voran.
 Erst jüngst hab' ich London, die Hauptstadt, gesehn,
 Und ein schöner Platz ist's, muß ich leider gestehn,
 Doch zeigst du dort nirgends dein liebes Gesicht,
 Daß ein Pinsel der erst dir Begegnende nicht.

 Nur, zur Paulskirche ging ich, kam eben von Deck,
 Ein stattlicher Bau, doch zum Stehn kaum ein Fleck;
 Und dort, meiner Six! 'war ein närrisches Ding,
 Je leiser ich schritt, desto lauter ich ging.
 Dann eilt' ich zum Zwinger, die Bestien zu sehn,
 Da wähnt' ich, vor Angst wird dir Spott schon vergehn,
 Doch zahm wie die Lämmer begafften sie mich,
 Und keins war nur halb so voll Wildheit wie ich.

 Dann ging ich zur Bank, denn man sagte, dort sollt'
 Von Silber ein Meer sein und Berge von Gold;
 Ach Possen, um die ich kein Wort mehr verlier',
 Denn das Gold und das Silber war nichts als Papier.
 Im Haus der Gemeinen auch sah ich mich um,
 Und der Sprecher saß da wie ein Mäuschen so stumm;
 Denn trotz seines Namens, glaubt nicht, daß  ich lüg',
 Der Sprecher allein war's von allen, der schwieg.

 Stand oft schon auf mannig gar seltsamen Platz;
 Doch auf keinem gleich dem, so voll Lärmen und Schwatz.
 A tobte, zur Ruhe zu bringen den B,
 Und dazwischen noch toller "zur Ordnung" schrie C.
 Drum hörst du in Zukunft ein stichelndes Wort,
 Ein Englisches Märchen, uns Iren zum Tort:
 Gib dies nur zum Besten, dann leugne wer kann,
 Daß im Schnitzern doch allen John Bull geht voran.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870), "Englische Schnitzer" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in English by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
    • Go to the text page.

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

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2004-12-11
Line count: 32
Word count: 278

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