Reply of the Zaporoje Cossacks to the Sultan of Constantinople | More villain than Barabbas

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by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire

Translation © by Salvador Pila

Réponse des Cosaques Zaporogues au Sultan de Constantinople

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: CAT ENG

Plus criminel que Barabbas
Cornu comme les mauvais anges
Quel Belzébuth es-tu là-bas 
Nourri d'immondice et de fange
Nous n'irons pas à tes sabbats
Poisson pourri de Salonique 
Long collier des sommeils affreux
D'yeux arrachés à coup de pique
Ta mère fit un pet foireux
Et tu naquis de sa colique 
Bourreau de Podolie Amant 
Des plaies des ulcères des croûtes
Groin de cochon cul de jument
Tes richesses garde-les toutes
Pour payer tes médicaments

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Réponse des cosaques zaporogues au sultan de Constantinople" [author's text checked 1 time 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 Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906 - 1975), "Réponse des Cosaques Zaporogues au Sultan de Constantinople", op. 135 no. 8, from Symphony no. 14, no. 8, also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Mikhail Pavlovich Kudinov (1922 - 1994) , copyright © ; composed by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Resposta dels cossacs Zaporoges al sultà de Constantinoble", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Salvador Pila) , "Reply of the Zaporoje Cossacks to the Sultan of Constantinople", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: John Versmoren

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 75

Reply of the Zaporoje Cossacks to the Sultan of Constantinople

Language: English after the French (Français)

More villain than Barabbas,
horned like the angels of evil,
what Beelzebub are you down there,
nourished with filth and mire?
We shall not attend your Sabbaths.
Rotten fish of Salonika,
long necklace of horrible dreams,
of eyes pulled out by dint of a pike.
Your mother farted wet,
and you were born of her colic.
Executioner of Podolia, lover
of wounds, of ulcers, of scabs.
Pig's snout, mare's arse.
Keep all your riches
to pay for your medicines.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2011 by Salvador Pila, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Réponse des cosaques zaporogues au sultan de Constantinople"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2011-05-22
Line count: 15
Word count: 79