The Pigtail (Frederic Field Bullard)

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• (Posted 2023-09-28)  CPDL #75828:   

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-09-28).   Score information: Letter, 12 pages, 497 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: The Pigtail
Composer: Frederic Field Bullard
Lyricist: Adelbert von Chamisso
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong, Humorous Song

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1901 C. C. Birchard & Co.
Description: Translated by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)

Original text and translations

English text

A Tragic Story

There lived a sage in days of yore,
And he a handsome pigtail wore;
But wondered much and sorrowed more,
Because it hung behind him.

He mused upon this curious case,
And swore he'd change the pigtail's place,
And have it hanging at his face,
Not dangling there behind him.

Says he, "The mystery I've found -
Says he, "The mystery I've found!
I'll turn me round," - he turned him round;
But still it hung behind him.

Then round and round, and out and in,
All day the puzzled sage did spin;
In vain - it mattered not a pin -
The pigtail hung behind him.

And right and left and round about,
And up and down and in and out
He turned; but still the pigtail stout
Hung steadily behind him.

And though his efforts never slack,
And though he twist and twirl, and tack,
Alas! Still faithful to his back,
The pigtail hangs behind him.

Translated by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)