The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #47949 Message #3414237
Posted By: GUEST,Mike Buckley
04-Oct-12 - 10:55 AM
Thread Name: DTStudy: Abdul Abulbul Amir (Percy French)
Subject: RE: DTStudy: Abdul Abulbul Amir (Percy French)
I recall this song from car journeys in Ireland - my father sang it - this being in the late '60's / early '70's. He would have learned it from a 78 record, which I had for many years and which was one of many Percy French records in the family. Sadly, they are long since gone.
That would, I suppose, have dictated the length of the song - and I suppose would account for some of the verses quoted in the versions mentioned earlier not being included.
This is how I recall it - and still sing it:
The sons of the Prophet are brave men and bold
And quite unaccustomed to fear
But the bravest by far in the ranks of the Shah
Was Abdul Abulbul Ameer.
If you wanted a man to encourage the van
Or harass the foe from the rear
Storm fort or redoubt, yon had only to shout
For Ahdul Abulbul Ameer.
Now the heroes were many and well-known to fame
In the troops that were led by the Czar
But the bravest of these, was a man by the name
Of Ivan Skivinsky Skivar.
One day this bold Russian shouldered his gun
And donned his most truculent sneer
Down town he did go, where he trod on the toe
Of Abdul Abulbul Ameer.
"Young Man" quote Abdul "Has your life grown so dull
That you wish to end your career-
Vile infidel, know you have trod on the toe
Of Abdul Abulbnl Ameer".
Said Ivan:" My friend, your remarks in the end
Will avail you but little, I fear,
For you'll never survive to repeat them alive
Mr. Abdul Abulbul Amneer."
"Then take your last look at sunshine and brook,
And send your regrets to the Czar
By this, I imply, you are going to die
Count Ivan Skivinsky Skivar.
Then the bold Mameluke drew his trusty shibouk
With a cry of "Allah Akbar"
And with murderous intent he ferociously went
For Ivan Skivinsky Skivar.
They fought through the night in the pale yellow light
The din it was heard from afar
Huge multitudes came, so great was the fame
Of Abdul and Ivan Skivar.
As Abdul's long knife was extracting the life
(In fact he was shouting "Huzza")
He felt himself struck by that wily Calmuck
Count Ivan Skivnsky Skivar
The Sultan drove by in his red-crested fly
Expecting the victor to cheer
But he only drew nigh to hear the last sigh
Of Abdul Abulbul Ameer.
Czar Petrovitch, too, in his spectacles blue
Drove up in his new-crested car,
He arrived just in time to exchange a last line
With Ivan Skivinsky Skivar.
A tomb rises up where the Blue Danube rolls
Engraved there in characters clear
Are: "Stranger, when passing, please pray for the soul
For Abdul Abulbul Ameer"
A Muscovite maiden her lone vigil keeps
'Neath the light of the pale polar star
And the name that she murmers, so oft as she weeps
Is Ivan Skivinsky Skivar.
Mike