by
Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866)
Language: German (Deutsch)
Das war die Schlacht von Waterloo,
Die Schlacht von Bellalliangs,
Die Klang so laut, die Klang so froh,
So ungestümen Klangs.
Das war die Schlacht von Waterloo,
Die Schlacht von Bellalliangs,
Da klangs doch nur dem Britten froh,
Nur froh dem Deutschen klangs.
Es wohnt ein Franzmann nah dabei,
Dem klingt es noch im Ohr,
Der hat auch einen Papagei,
Der sprach so laut zuvor.
Der Papagei sprach mancherlei,
Französisch Tag und Nacht,
So laut noch sprach der Papagei,
Am Tage vor der Schlacht.
Und als die Schlacht so laut nun sprach,
Da schwieg der Papagei,
Und als er wieder sprach hernach,
Sprach er nur einerlei.
Der Franzmann sprach: Bonjour, mein Matz!
Der Papagei sprach: Bum!
Der Franzmann sprach: Bon soir, mein Schatz!
Der Papagei sprach: Bum!
Bonjour, mein Matz!
Bum.
Bon soir, mein Schatz!
Bum.
Und weißt du weiter nichts als Bum,
So bleibe lieber stumm!
Der Papagei blieb doch nicht stumm,
Der Papagei sprach: Bum;
Und weißt du weiter nichts als Bum,
Den Hals dreh ich dir um!
Bum. Da dreht er den Hals ihm um,
Und er sprach sterbend: Bum!
...
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-9 of the original text.
Composition:
Set to music by Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Der Papagei", op. 111 (1847), published 1847, stanzas 1-9
Text Authorship:
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Iain Sneddon) , "The Parrot", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 204
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
It was the Battle of Waterloo,
The battle of La Belle Alliance,
The noise so loud, a joyful din,
Such a spontaneous clamour.
It was the Battle of Waterloo,
The battle of La Belle Alliance,
The racket only made the British glad,
So glad for the noisy Germans.
A Frenchman lived close by,
The noise rang in his ears.
He also had a parrot,
That previously spoke loudly.
The parrot said many things
In French, day and night.
Not so loudly spoke the parrot
On the eve of the battle.
And since the battle loudly roared,
The parrot was silent,
And when he spoke again afterwards,
He spoke only one thing.
The Frenchman said: Bonjour, my naughty boy!
The parrot said: ‘Boom’!
The Frenchman said: Bon soir, my darling!
The parrot said: ‘Boom’!
Bonjour, my naughty boy!
‘Boom’!
Bon soir, my darling!
‘Boom’!
If you know nothing but 'Boom',
Please stay silent!
The parrot was not dumb,
The parrot said: ‘Boom’.
If you still know nothing but 'Boom',
I'll wring your neck!
‘Boom’! then he wrung its neck,
And the parrot, dying, said: ‘Boom’.
...
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-9 of the original text.
Translator's note: La Belle Alliance is the Inn near the Waterloo battlefield where Blücher and Wellington met to agree the end of the battle.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2024 by Iain Sneddon, (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:
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2024-07-26
Line count: 40
Word count: 204