Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a traditional French song that is generally accepted as having roots in the early modern era. The exact theme of it is subject to debate as I've read conflicting reports; according to musicologist Timothy J. McGee, it would be about Jean IV de Chalon-Arlay, whilst according to other sources, it would be about René de Chalon, a captain of Charles V the Holy Roman Emperor. Whatever the exact subject matter it was meant for originally, it speaks of the Prince of Orange, a title both aforementioned men held. The Principality of Orange, a fiefdom of the Holy Roman Empire.
Rather than arranging this in a period style, I instead wanted to reflect the current reality of the song by arranging it in the choral style, a phenomenon widely observed in France wherein folk songs are arranged in a polyphonic choral setting, sometimes with the addition of instrumentation, such as drums in this case. Therefore, the melody's final parts do not use the raised seventh degree, harmonic minor style of cadence and resulting harmonies that would have defined the song in its original context, but rather utilise the natural minor and its resulting harmonies.
Lyrics in French:
C'est Le prince d'Orange, tôt matin s'est levé
Est allé voir son page, "va seller mon coursier"
Que maudite soit la guerre, "va seller mon coursier".
Mon beau Prince d'Orange, où voulez-vous aller ?
Je veux aller en France, où le Roi m'a mandé
Que maudite soit la guerre, où le Roi m'a mandé.
Je veux aller en France, où le Roi m'a mandé
Mis la main sur la bride, le pied à l'étrier
Que maudite soit la guerre, le pied à l'étrier.
Mis la main sur la bride, le pied à l'étrier
Je partis sain et sauf, et j'en revins blessé
Que maudite soit la guerre, et j'en revins blessé.
Je partis sain et sauf, et j'en revins blessé
De trois grands coups de lance qu'un anglais m'a donné
Que maudite soit la guerre, qu'un anglais m'a donné.
De trois grands coups de lance qu'un anglais m'a donné
J'en ai un à l'épaule et l'autre à mon coté
Que maudite soit la guerre, et l'autre à mon coté.
J'en ai un à l'épaule et l'autre à mon coté
Un autre à la mamelle, on dit que j'en mourrai
Que maudite soit la guerre, on dit que j'en mourrai.
Un autre à la mamelle, on dit que j'en mourrai
Le beau Prince d'Orange est mort et enterré
Que maudite soit la guerre, est mort et enterré.
Le beau Prince d'Orange est mort et enterré
L'ai vu porter en terre par quatre cordeliers
Que maudite soit la guerre, par quatre cordeliers.
English translation:
It’s the Prince of Orange, early in the morning he rose,
Went to see his page, "Saddle my steed."
Cursed be the war, "Saddle my steed."
My beautiful Prince of Orange, where do you wish to go?
I want to go to France, where the King has summoned me.
Cursed be the war, where the King has summoned me.
I want to go to France, where the King has summoned me.
He put his hand on the bridle, his foot in the stirrup.
Cursed be the war, his foot in the stirrup.
He put his hand on the bridle, his foot in the stirrup.
I left safe and sound, and returned wounded.
Cursed be the war, and I returned wounded.
I left safe and sound, and returned wounded,
From three great lance blows that an Englishman gave me.
Cursed be the war, that an Englishman gave me.
From three great lance blows that an Englishman gave me,
I have one on my shoulder and the other on my side.
Cursed be the war, and the other on my side.
I have one on my shoulder and the other on my side,
Another on my breast, they say I will die from it.
Cursed be the war, they say I will die from it.
Another on my breast, they say I will die from it,
The beautiful Prince of Orange is dead and buried.
Cursed be the war, is dead and buried.
The beautiful Prince of Orange is dead and buried,
I saw him carried to the grave by four friars.
Cursed be the war, by four friars.
Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a traditional French song that is generally accepted as having roots in the early modern era. The exact theme of it is subject to debate as I've read conflicting reports; according to musicologist Timothy J. McGee, it would be about Jean IV de Chalon-Arlay, whilst according to other sources, it would be about René de Chalon, a captain of Charles V the Holy Roman Emperor. Whatever the exact subject matter it was meant for originally, it speaks of the Prince of Orange, a title both aforementioned men held. The Principality of Orange, a fiefdom of the Holy Roman Empire.
Rather than arranging this in a period style, I instead wanted to reflect the current reality of the song by arranging it in the choral style, a phenomenon widely observed in France wherein folk songs are arranged in a polyphonic choral setting, sometimes with the addition of instrumentation, such as drums in this case. Therefore, the melody's final parts do not use the raised seventh degree, harmonic minor style of cadence and resulting harmonies that would have defined the song in its original context, but rather utilise the natural minor and its resulting harmonies.
Lyrics in French:
C'est Le prince d'Orange, tôt matin s'est levé
Est allé voir son page, "va seller mon coursier"
Que maudite soit la guerre, "va seller mon coursier".
Mon beau Prince d'Orange, où voulez-vous aller ?
Je veux aller en France, où le Roi m'a mandé
Que maudite soit la guerre, où le Roi m'a mandé.
Je veux aller en France, où le Roi m'a mandé
Mis la main sur la bride, le pied à l'étrier
Que maudite soit la guerre, le pied à l'étrier.
Mis la main sur la bride, le pied à l'étrier
Je partis sain et sauf, et j'en revins blessé
Que maudite soit la guerre, et j'en revins blessé.
Je partis sain et sauf, et j'en revins blessé
De trois grands coups de lance qu'un anglais m'a donné
Que maudite soit la guerre, qu'un anglais m'a donné.
De trois grands coups de lance qu'un anglais m'a donné
J'en ai un à l'épaule et l'autre à mon coté
Que maudite soit la guerre, et l'autre à mon coté.
J'en ai un à l'épaule et l'autre à mon coté
Un autre à la mamelle, on dit que j'en mourrai
Que maudite soit la guerre, on dit que j'en mourrai.
Un autre à la mamelle, on dit que j'en mourrai
Le beau Prince d'Orange est mort et enterré
Que maudite soit la guerre, est mort et enterré.
Le beau Prince d'Orange est mort et enterré
L'ai vu porter en terre par quatre cordeliers
Que maudite soit la guerre, par quatre cordeliers.
English translation:
It’s the Prince of Orange, early in the morning he rose,
Went to see his page, "Saddle my steed."
Cursed be the war, "Saddle my steed."
My beautiful Prince of Orange, where do you wish to go?
I want to go to France, where the King has summoned me.
Cursed be the war, where the King has summoned me.
I want to go to France, where the King has summoned me.
He put his hand on the bridle, his foot in the stirrup.
Cursed be the war, his foot in the stirrup.
He put his hand on the bridle, his foot in the stirrup.
I left safe and sound, and returned wounded.
Cursed be the war, and I returned wounded.
I left safe and sound, and returned wounded,
From three great lance blows that an Englishman gave me.
Cursed be the war, that an Englishman gave me.
From three great lance blows that an Englishman gave me,
I have one on my shoulder and the other on my side.
Cursed be the war, and the other on my side.
I have one on my shoulder and the other on my side,
Another on my breast, they say I will die from it.
Cursed be the war, they say I will die from it.
Another on my breast, they say I will die from it,
The beautiful Prince of Orange is dead and buried.
Cursed be the war, is dead and buried.
The beautiful Prince of Orange is dead and buried,
I saw him carried to the grave by four friars.
Cursed be the war, by four friars.
