MOST FAMOUS SONG.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 25 April 1914, Page 9

MOST FAMOUS SONG.

(By George A. Warde, in Chambers's Journal.) There cannot be the least doubt whatever that the most famous soup, in the world, judged by its being known in the most lands and by the most varied nations, and by its being, one of the oldest and most widely sung ditties ever known, is that which has for its first line, "Malbrook s'en ( va-t-en guerre;" which, if we were to give the English version of it, instead of the older French words, would be, "Marlborough goes away to the war." But nobody, not a single man out of | all the hundred, unless he were a ! specialty knowing person, would ever ! venture to suggest that "Malbrook" was the most famous, the most widely known, the most often snug, and. had by far the most glorious traditions amongst all the songs of the world's many and varied countries. Yet it unquestionably is so, and you yourself "have agreed to this often and often when you have sung so enthusiastically oud heartily the song's splendid refrain :— For he's a jolly good fellow, .For he's a, jolly good fellow, For he's a jolly good fellow, And so say all of us! The Crusaders, when they returned from their wars for the Holy Sepulchre in the thirteenth century, brought back with them to France a tune which they had learned afar. They sang it and hummed it as they marched, till it caught the nation's fancy, and became at last one of the songs of France, whence it soon crossed the Channel, and delighted the English. Y/hers the Crusaders actually got the song is a matter of much doubt. But, as the Arabs of Palestine knew the song well, and were often heard singing it by Chateaubriand and others, it is not improbable that the Crusaders actually learned it from their enemies when fighting the Saracens. This story is negatived, however, by many high authorities, who suggest that the true air and the best-known words of the sons, as we have it today unquestionably came from the period when Louis the Fifteenth sat on the Throne of France.

In any case, we are entirely on 6afs ground when we come to the days which saw our own Duke of Marlborough, going to fight the French in Flanders during the reign of Queen Anne. For then the French, who had for centuries, as we have seen, sung this song beginning "Mabrook s'en va-t-en guerre," made an easy change of a word in the first line, and so hit off the situation to a nicety. Let us explain here that the original word "Mabrook" did not refer to the Duke of Marlborough at all; it was the name used in the song for generations previously. Now "Mabrook" itself is an Arab name, arid this would 6eem to afford strong proof that the famous song originally came from the men who during the great Crusades fought (under the name of Saracens) against our own kings, and who to-day travel over the wide deserts.

By a clever thought the French, altered "Mabrook" to "Marlborough" about the time of Malplaquet, and so made the song tell how our great Duke set out to the war, but returned not: bow his lady went to the top of the tower to watch for him, but saw not his banners: how at last a page came, announcing that the Duke had been killed and buried. The paraphrase of this French version runs freely as follows, with regard to the first verse, to which a special chorus was added from an unknown source. But this chorus became immediately a tremendous success with the French. Thus the song went: — Marlborough, prince of commanders, - Has gone to the war in Flanders; Hi* famp is like Alexander's; But when will he come home? j He won't come borne till morning. He won't come home till morning, He won't come home till morning, ' Till daylight cloth appear! By this time the fine air and parodies of the words had become known to many in England, and they saw that the "He won't come home till morning." was the wish which was father +^ the thought, as we say. So in derision- they themselves retorted with another chorus, which made the great song run:— Marlborough, -prince of commanders, Fp<s conquered" the French in Flanders; His fame is like Alexander's; And he's the best.of all. Fni' he's a j-olly good fellow, He's a jo'lv good fellow, He's a jolly good fellow. And so say all of ue! One cannot leave the subject, however, without recalling the marvellous Ik1: of illustrious narr.es directly connect?-! with tbvs glorious song. Marie Antoinette sans it as a crf^le-M 11?, to her babes: the famous musician BeaunTtrohnk introduce! it into his "Marriage of Figaro," in 1784; Beethoven used it in his veil-known "Battle Symphony" in 1810. as emblematic of the march of the French army under Bonaparte! Nr-pole-on held it in special favor, fi'Tcl wns hoard sinking it to himself as Th army cr-^sad the Fiv^r Niamen on its way to Russia in 1812; wVrst ?-t Ft. Helen*, not long before bis r'en.th. he "em-arkerl to one of his old frieM*.. tlTVh,nt a £vea+. mn-n that Duke of Marlboro 71 gh was! What a thing k ridicule; it even attacks the victor!" And a moment later, almost with ds-th right in front of him, the g-reat "ftcourtrn of Europe" began to sing softly. "Maryborough s'en va-t-en guerre " It was a- magnificent tribute in itself to the hold this wonderful sov.rr has had over so many of the world's greatest and most illustrious

CKivTott-o CoHav oft«i chanted ifs strain? • whilst Queen Hortense made i+. the foundation of her famous tune, "P.^rtwnt pour la Svri*." and the noblf* Andre Chenier also hawed his *']\^OT!rir pour la Patne" on the sonsr. Crriously, too, the Finns to-day sin" frovds to a tune identicaltv thJ& same: and He^ernr. a t the Copenhagen theatre in 1826, won immense aDnlause hv iatroducinn: the soncr. in which all the dames joined with much fervor.