1. How happy the soldier who lives on his pay,
And spends half a crown on six pence a day;
He fears neither justices, warrants nor bums,
But pays all his debts with a roll of the drums,
With a row de dow,
Row de dow, Row de dow,
And he pays all his debts with a roll of his drums.
2. He cares not a Marnedy how the world goes;
His King finds his quarters, and money and clothes;
He laughs at all sorrow whenever it comes,
And rattles away with the roll of the drums.
3. The drum is his glory, his joy and delight,
It leads him to pleasure as well as to fight;
No girl, when she hears it, though ever so glum,
But packs up her tatters, and follows the drum.
Traduction
1. Qu'il est heureux, le soldat qui vit de sa solde,
Et dépense une demi-couronne pour six penny par jour;
Il ne craint ni les juges, ni les mandats, ni les imbéciles,
Mais paie toutes ses dettes avec un rouleau de tambours,
2. Il ne se soucie pas de Marnedy comment va le monde;
Son roi trouve ses quartiers, son argent et ses vêtements;
Il rit de tout chagrin quand il vient,
Et claque au rouleau des tambours.
3. Le tambour est sa gloire, sa joie et sa joie
Cela le conduit aussi bien au plaisir qu’à se battre;
Aucune fille, quand elle l'entend, bien que toujours aussi maussade,
Mais range ses lambeaux et suit le tambour.
Partition pour piano