Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
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! Nun ist der Franzmann doch nicht frei; Noch ruft in jeder Nacht Ihm sein erwürgter Papagei Den Nachhall von der Schlacht.
C. Loewe sets stanzas 1-9
Confirmed with Friedrich Rückert, Gesammelte Gedichte, Zweiter Theil, Frankfurt am Main: Sauerländer, 1843, pages 368-369.
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), "Der Papagei", appears in Jugendlieder, in Kranz der Zeit [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 Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Der Papagei", op. 111 (1847), published 1847, stanzas 1-9 [sung text checked 1 time]
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
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’. Now the Frenchman is no longer free; every night his strangled parrot calls to him; the echo of the battle.
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:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), "Der Papagei", appears in Jugendlieder, in Kranz der Zeit
This text was added to the website: 2024-07-26
Line count: 40
Word count: 204