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STORIES OF
" Such," adds the inimitable Father Prout," is the celebrated funeral song of * Malbrouck.' It is what we would call in Ireland a ' keen' over the dead, with this difference, that the lamented deceased is, among us, willy-nilly, generally dead outright, with a hole in his skull; whereas the subject of the pathetic elegy of ' Monsieur' was, at the time of its composition, both alive and kicking all before him." It is curious to note that the authorship of " Malbrough" has also been ascribed to the celebrated Madame de Sevigne. For several confirmatory statements in this account, I am indebted to an article in "Maclure's Magazine," 1896.
It has recently been stated that the song is purely Eastern, that it was known to the Arabs centuries ago, and that they still sing it— " Mabrook," and " Mabrooka" being not un-common names in Egypt I give a verse in Arabic and then leave the subject:
" Mabrook saffur lei harbi
Va lail-ya lail ya laila Mabrook saffur lei harbi
Woo-ela metta yerjaa Woo-ela metta yerja-ya lail
Woo-ela metta yerjaa," etc.
After " Malbrough" came the terrible " Car-magnole" and " Madame Veto." " The " Car-44 |
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