ANST - Birthday Dirge

[Tim McDaniel]

There are many collections of verses of the Birthday Dirge.
Here are two.

    Date: Sun, 13 Apr 1997 18:10:17 -0400
    Message-Id: <199704132210.SAA76286 at osceola.gate.net>
    To: ansteorra at eden.com
    From: Jen <jenster at gate.net> (by way of Jen <jenster at gate.net>)
    Subject: Dirge for Gavral...

...

Recently this fellow Gavral from the Barony of Thescore in Aethelmarc
requested any verses for the birthday dirge, properly known as the Volga
Birthday Song after the melody that it filks.  Here are most of the verses
that I know of...
                               Lord Jens Vetrar
                        aka Jen of Wyvernwood, Trimaris
**********************************************************************

Doom, destruction and despair,
People dying everywhere,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

May the cities in your wake,
Burn like candles on your cake,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

Hear the women wail and weep,
Kill them all but spare the sheep,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

So you're twenty-nine again,
Don't tell lies to your old friends,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

You must be wedded very soon,
The baby's due the next full moon,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

People dying on the earth,
Go ahead eat your desert,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

We brought you linen white as clouds,
Now we'll sit and sew your shroud,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

It's your birthday, never fear,
You'll be dead this time next year,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

'Twas bad enough your hair turned grey,
But now it's falling out, they say,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

The Black Plague has just struck town,
You yourself feel quite run down,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

They steal your sword, your gold, your house,
They take your sheep but not your spouse,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

Your servants steal, your wife's untrue,
Your children plot to murder you,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

Now you've reached the age you are,
Your demise cannot be far,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

Though you're turning twenty-nine,
Age to you is like fine wine,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

You saved the damsel in distress,
Now your social life's a mess,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

Were I sitting in your shoes,
I'd go out and sing the blues,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

Now you've lived another year,
And your death is drawing near,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

Now your jail-bait days are done,
Let's go out and have some fun,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....

You're a period cook 'tis true,
Just ask the beetles in the stew,
Happy Birthday, (unh!) Happy Birthday....


    From: pat at lalaw.lib.CA.US (Pat Lammerts)
    Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
    Subject: birthday song
    Date: 16 Jan 1996 21:38:00 -0500

Aelfridh wrote:

>Hello All,
>
>I'm hoping someone out there knows the words to the Happy Birthday Dirge. 
>My boss is on the verge of his 50th and we'd like to help him over the
>edge.  This is what I can recall of it:
>
>Happy Birthday
>   Happy Birthday
>May the candles on you're cake
>   Burn like torches at your wake
>Happy Birthday .....
>
>An e-mail response to me at work (DEFY at AOL.COM) would expedite things and
>be greatly appreciated.  Thanks, AElfridh Haraldsdottir, West Kingdom

This song was written many years ago, by several Knights of Caid.
It is called the Mongolian Birthday Song.  It is sung to 
the tune of the Volga Boatman.

[... versus 1 thru 3 shewn above ...]

There is a 4th verse, but it is not part of the original song.
It was added much later by unknown others.

4) Happy Birthday (uh!)
     Happy Birthday (uh!)
   We like babies, yes we do,
   Baked and boiled and in a stew.
     Happy Birthday (uh!)

When around mundanes, only the first two verses make sense to them.

Yours,

Huette

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Mistress Huette Aliza von und zu Ahrens und Mechthildberg +
+         Ars non gratia artis, sed gratia pecuniae         + 
+                     Kingdom of Caid                       +
+        Barony of the Angels, Canton of the Canyons        +
+                   (pat at lalaw.lib.ca.us)                   +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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