Copyright © 2005 Paul Howarth

LUDWIG Your loyalty our Ducal heartstrings touches:
Allow me to present your new Grand Duchess.
Should she offend, you'll graciously excuse her--
And kindly recollect I didn't choose her!

At the outset I may mention
it's my sovereign intention
To revive the classic memories of Athens at its best,
For the company possesses
all the necessary dresses
And a course of quiet cramming will supply us with the rest.
We've a choir hyporchematic
(that is, balletoperatic)
Who respond to the choreutae of that cultivated age,
And our clever chorusmaster,
all but captious criticaster
Would accept as the choregus of the early Attic stage.
This return to classic ages
is considered in their wages,
Which are always calculated by the day or by the week--
And I'll pay 'em (if they'll back me)
all in oboloi and drachmae ,
Which they'll get (if they prefer it) at the Kalends that are Greek!

At this junction I may mention
That this erudition sham
Is but classical pretension,
The result of steady "cram.":
Periphrastic methods spurning,
To this audience discerning
I admit this show of learning
Is the fruit of steady "cram."!

CHORUS Periphrastic methods spurning,
To this audience discerning
I admit this show of learning
Is the fruit of steady "cram."!

LUD. In the

period Socratic
every diningroom was Attic
(Which suggests an architecture of a topsyturvy kind),
There they'd satisfy their thirst on
a recherche cold ariston
Which is what they called their lunch,
and so may you if you're inclined.
As they gradually got on,
they'd trepesthai pros ton poton
(Which is Attic for a steady and a conscientious drink).
But they mixed their wine with water,
which I'm sure they didn't oughter,
And we modern Saxons know a trick
worth two of that, I think!
Then came rather risky dances
(under certain circumstances)
Which would shock that worthy gentleman,
the Licenser of Plays,
Corybantian maniac kick,
Dionysiac or Bacchic,
And the Dithyrambic revels of those undecorous days.

And perhaps I'd better mention,
Lest alarming you I am,
That it isn't our intention
To perform a Dithyramb;
It displays a lot of stocking,
Which is always very shocking,
And of course I'm only mocking
At the prevalence of "cram"!

CH. It displays a lot of stocking,
Which is always very shocking,
And of course I'm only mocking
At the prevalence of "cram"!

LUD. Yes, on reconsideration,
there are customs of that nation
Which are not in strict accordance
with the habits of our day,
And when I come to codify,
their rules I mean to modify,
Or Mrs. Grundy, p'r'aps, may have a word or two to say.
For they hadn't macintoshes
or umbrellas or goloshes,
And a shower with their dresses
must have played the very deuce,

And it must have been unpleasing
when they caught a fit of sneezing,
For, it seems, of pocket handkerchiefs
they didn't know the use.
They wore little underclothing--
scarcely anythingor nothing--
And their dress of Coan silk was quite
transparent in design--
Well, in fact, in summer weather,
something like the "altogether"
And it's there, I rather fancy,
I shall have to draw the line!

And again I wish to mention
That this erudition sham
Is but classical pretension,
The result of steady "cram."
Yet my classic lore aggressive
(If you'll pardon the possessive)
Is exceedingly impressive
When you're passing an exam.

CH. Yet his classic lore aggressive
(If you'll pardon the possessive)
Is exceedingly impressive
When you're passing an exam.

Wreaths of bay and ivy twine,
Eloia! Eloia!
Fill the bowl with Lesbian wine,
And to revelry incline--
Eloia!
Opoponax! Opoponax! Opoponax! Eloia!
Opoponax! Opoponax! Opoponax! Eloia!
Eloia! Eloia!

By Arthur Sullivan
Generated by NoteWorthy Composer

Grand Duke No. 14
Staff-1
Ludwig
Women
Men
piano
piano-2
Tempo Track