Drinking song | The kings of Egypt and Syria

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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Translation © by Derek Welton

Chanson à boire

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG ENG GER

Les rois d'Egypte et de Syrie, 
Voulaient qu'on embaumât leurs corps,
Pour durer plus longtemps morts.
Quelle folie!

Buvons donc selon notre envie,
Il faut boire et reboire encore.
Buvons donc toute notre vie,
Embaumons-nous avant la mort. 

Embaumons-nous; 
Que ce baume est doux.

Text Authorship:

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author ( 18th century ) [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 Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963), "Chanson à boire", FP 42 no. 2 (1925-1926), published 1926 [ baritone and piano ], from Chansons gaillardes, no. 2, Éd. Heugel [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Bertram Kottmann , "Trinklied", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission ; composed by Gary Bachlund.

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

ENG English (Derek Welton) , "Drinking song", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Simon Chalifoux) , "Drinking song", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Sonja Lohmiller) , "Trinklied", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Matthias Fletzberger

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 44

Drinking song

Language: English after the French (Français)

The kings of Egypt and Syria
Wanted their bodes to be embalmed
So as to last, longer, dead.
What folly!

Let us drink then according to our desire,
We should drink and drink again.
Let us drink then all our life,
Let us embalm ourselves before death.

Let us embalm ourselves,
For the balm is sweet!

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2007 by Derek Welton, (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 Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2007-07-24
Line count: 10
Word count: 56