Malbrough s'en va-t-en guerre [Mort et convoi de l'invincible Malbrough] [English translation]
Malbrough s'en va-t-en guerre [Mort et convoi de l'invincible Malbrough] [English translation]
Malbrough marches on to war
Mironton mironton mirontaine1
Malbrough marches on to war
Who knows when he'll return?2
He'll be back for Easter
Mironton mironton mirontaine
He'll be back for Easter
or Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday is past
Mironton mironton mirontaine
Trinity Sunday is past
Malbrough doesn't come back3
Milady climbs up her tower
Mironton mironton mirontaine
Milady climbs up her tower
as high as she can go.
She glimpses her squire
Mironton mironton mirontaine
She sees her squire coming
all dressed in black.
Fair squire, o fair squire
Mironton mironton mirontaine
Fair squire, o fair squire
what news do you bring?
The news I bring, Madam
Mironton mironton mirontaine
The news I bring, Madam
will make your fair eyes cry.
Mister Malbrough is dead
Mironton mironton mirontaine
Mister Malbrough is dead
He is dead and buried.
I saw him being buried
Mironton mironton mirontaine
I saw him being buried
by four officers.
One carried his breastplate
Mironton mironton mirontaine
One carried his breastplate,
another his buckler4
One carried his great sabre
Mironton mironton mirontaine
One carried his great sabre
the last one carried nothing.
All around his grave
Mironton mironton mirontaine
All around his grave
rosemaries were planted5.
His soul was seen flying
Mironton mironton mirontaine
His soul was seen flying
through a laurel bush6
Once the ceremony was over
Mironton mironton mirontaine
Once the ceremony was over,
everyone went to bed
Some slept with their wives
Mironton mironton mirontaine
Some slept with their wives,
others slept alone.
I won't speak any further
Mironton mironton mirontaine
I won't speak any further
Enough has been said.
1. just a rhythmic pattern with no meaning2. the snappy French would normally read "nul ne sait quand il reviendra" (no-one knows when he'll return)3. the song gave an idiomatic meaning to "...ou à la trinité" similar to "when hell freezes over"4. for all I know, early 18th century soldiers had no shields whatsoever and precious little body armor. Malbrough's gear rather looks like a medieval knight's, possibly in an attempt to mock him5. in the middle ages, rosemary was believed to cleanse pestilence!6. sic transit gloria mundi...
- Artist:Le Poème harmonique