Pirate Song | We carried into slavery

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by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)

Translation © by Peter Low

Chanson de pirates

(Sung text for setting by Oscar I)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Nous emmenions en esclavage
Cent chrétiens, pêcheurs de corail ;
Nous recrutions pour le sérail
Dans tous les moûtiers du rivage.
En mer, les hardis écumeurs !
Nous allions de Fez à Catane...
Dans la galère capitane
Nous étions quatre-vingts rameurs. 
Allah!

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanza 1 of the original text.

Composition:

Oscar I, King of Sweden

Text Authorship:

by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), "Chanson de pirates", written 1828, appears in Les Orientales, no. 8

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Peter Low) , "Pirate Song", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2013-10-31
Line count: 40
Word count: 207

Pirate Song

(Sung text translation for setting by Oscar I)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

We carried into slavery
a hundred Christians - coral fishers -
we took recruits for the harem
from all the nunneries of the coast.
Set sail, bold plunderers!
We went from Fez to Catania.
In the leading galley
we were eighty rowers.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanza 1 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2022 by Peter Low, (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 Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), "Chanson de pirates", written 1828, appears in Les Orientales, no. 8
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This text was added to the website: 2022-09-05
Line count: 40
Word count: 219