by Robert Southey (1774 - 1843)
Translation
After Blenheim
Language: English  after the English
It was the English that put the French to rout; But what they kill'd each other for, I could not well make out; But ev'rybody said, you see, That 'twas a famous victory. With fire and sword the country round was wasted far and wide, And many a childing mother then And newborn baby died. But things like that, you know, must be At ev'ry famous victory. They say it was a shocking sight After the field was won; For many thousand bodies here Lay rotting in the sun; But things like that, you know, must be After a famous victory. And ev'rybody praised the Duke Who this great fight did win But what good came of it at last Quoth the fallen's kin: Why that I cannot tell, you see, But 'twas a very famous victory.
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It is based on
- a text in English by Robert Southey (1774 - 1843), "After Blenheim"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ernst Bacon (1898 - 1990), "After Blenheim", 196-? [voice and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Barbara Miller
This text was added to the website: 2013-04-20
Line count: 23
Word count: 137