by Walter Scott, Sir (1771 - 1832)
'Twas a Marechal of France, and he fain...
Language: English
'Twas a Marechal of France, and he fain would honour gain, And he long'd to take a passing glance at Portugal from Spain, With his flying guns this gallant gay, And boasted corps d'armée, O he fear'd not our dragoons with their long swords boldly riding. Whack fal de ral la la la la la la la, And Whack fal de ral la la la la la la la. To Campo Mayor come, he had quietly sat down, Just a fricassee to pick, while his soldiers sack'd the town, When 'twas peste! Morbleu! Mon General, Hear th'English bugle call! And behold the light dragoons with their long swords boldly riding. Whack fal de ral la la la la la la la, And Whack fal de ral la la la la la la la. Three hundred British lads they made three thousand reel, Their hearts were made of English Oak, their swords of Sheffield steel, Their horses were in Yorkshire bred, And Beresford them led; So huzza for brave dragoons with their long swords boldly riding. Whack fal de ral la la la la la la la, And Whack fal de ral la la la la la la la. There here's a health to Wellington, to Beresford, to Long, And a single word of Bonaparte before I close my song: The eagles that to fight he brings Should serve his men with wings, When they meet the brave dragoons with their long swords boldly riding. Whack fal de ral la la la la la la la, And Whack fal de ral la la la la la la la.
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Text Authorship:
- by Walter Scott, Sir (1771 - 1832) [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 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "The British Light Dragoons", alternate title: "The Plain of Badajos", WoO. 153 (20 Irische Lieder mit Begleitung von Pianoforte, Violine und Violoncello) no. 3, G. 224 no. 3, published 1814/6 [ voice, piano, violin, violoncello ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Georg Pertz) , "Die englischen leichten Dragoner oder die Ebene von Badajos"
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2005-01-12
Line count: 28
Word count: 267