Marche de Henri IV
The Marche de Henri IV is a French song of anonymous origin that was composed around 1600 and celebrates Henry IV of France. You can find it in many variations, as the lyrics of the song have changed over and over again. Only the first stanza remained present over time.
It gained popularity through its use in the comedy La Partie de Chasse de Henri IV (1766) by Charles Collé , who added two stanzas. It was played frequently during the Restoration , when the Marseillaise was banned.
The first stanza:
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Vive Henri IV.
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Vive ce Roi vaillant!
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Ce diable à quatre
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A le triple talent
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De boire et de battre
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Et d'être un vert-gallant,
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A le triple talent
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De boire et de battre
- Et d'être un vert-gallant.
(Translation: "Long live Heinrich IV. / Long live the brave king! / This jack of all trades / has the threefold talent / of drinking, fencing / and a bon vivant.")
The melody that also appears in a 16th century dance ( Les Tricotets ) is u. a. edited by Peter Tschaikowsky , Franz Liszt and Francesco Molino . The version by Tchaikovsky also served as the basis for part of the score for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty film (1959).
Web links
- Vive Henri IV! (PDF; 3.6 MB) Text and history of the Marche de Henri IV (English)
Remarks
- ↑ See faire le diable à quatre , “make a lot of noise”.