My Virtual Reading Room

Someone mentioned this song to me recently, and I liked it (well, I like the tune better than the words, but here, you can judge for yourself, translation's below)

Жил-был Анри Четвертый,
Он славный был король,
Любил вино до черта,
Но трезв бывал порой.

Войну любил он страшно
И дрался, как петух.
И в схватке рукопашной
Один он стоил двух.

Еще любил он женщин
И знал у них успех,
Победами увенчан,
Он жил счастливей всех.

Когда же смерть-старуха
Пришла за ним с клюкой,
Ее ударил в ухо
Он рыцарской рукой.

Но смерть полна коварства,
Его подстерегла
И нанесла удар свой
Ножом из-за угла.

От страшного удара
Кровь брызнула из жил,
И нечестивец старый
Скончался, как и жил.

Once there lived a king named Henry IV,
He was a great king,
He loved his wine very much,
But on occasion, he was sober too.

He loved the war awfully
And fought just like a rooster,
And in hand-to-hand combat,
He was worth two others.

He loved women too
And enjoyed success in that pursuit
Crowned with victories,
He lived, happier than anyone.

And when the old woman Death
Came to fetch him, leaning on her crooked cane,
He punched her in the ear
With his knightly fist.

But death is full of cunning,
It waited in ambush for him
And made her blow
With a knife, from around the corner.

From this frightful blow,
Blood spurted from his veins,
And the old sinner
Died the same way he'd lived.






(another version)


(And this is the film the song is from, quite an amusing romantic comedy, set in the time of Napoleonic War; with English subtitles. The dialogue in the original film is rhymed)