Abdul Abulbul Amir

 

 

All during my childhood there was a song that was very popular that went by the title printed above and was nearly always sung at neighborhood singsongs that were then very popular and sort of occurred spontaneously. I know the tune but would hesitate to try to teach it to any of you because as you know God so richly endowed me with good looks that He felt it dangerous to also give me musical talent for fear of invoking turmoil among the ladies. I am going to put the words

To this ballad below in the hope that someone knows the tune and will preserve this old folk-song and prevent its untimely death

 

This song involves two characters in the war between Persia and Russia for the Caucasus and is set in that portion of the war that occurred during the period 1801 to 1853. It was much like some of the bitter fighting in the region today. I haven’t heard the song sung in over fifty years but I have seen the words printed somewhere and have jotted them down in a notebook I have. They are:

 

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 Amir.

 

If you wanted a man to encourage the van

Or harass the foe from the rear

Storm fort or redoubt, you had only to shout

For Abdul Abulbul Amir.

 

But the heroes were plenty and well known to fame

In the troops that were led by the Czar,

And the bravest of these was a man by the name

Of Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.

 

He would imitate Irving, play poker and pool ,

And would strum on the Spanish guitar,

In fact quite the cream of the Muscovite team

Was Ivan Skavinsky Skavar

 

One day this bold Russian did shoulder his gun,

And put on a most obvious sneer,

Downtown he did go, and he trod on the toe

Of Abdul Abulbul Amir.

 

“Young man,” said the Abdul “Has life grown so dull

That you wish to end your career”

For infidel know that you’ve trod on the toe

Of Abdul Abulbul Amir.”

 

Said Ivan, “My friend, your remarks in the end

Will avail you but little I fear

For you ne’er will survive to repeat them alive

Mr. Abdul Abulbul Amir.

 

So take your last look at sea, sun and brook,

And send your regrets to the Czar;

For by this I imply, you are going to die

Count Ivan Skavinsky Skavar!”

 

They fought all that night, ‘neath the pale yellow moon,

The din was heard from afar,

And multitudes came so great was the fame

Of Abulbul and Ivan Skavar.

 

The Sultan drove by in his red-breasted fly,

Expecting the victor to cheer,

But he only drew nigh to hear the last sigh

Of Abdul Abulbul Amir.

 

Czar Petrovich too, in his spectacles blue

Rode up in hid new-crested car.

He arrived just in time to exchange a last line

With Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.

 

Oh, a tomb rises up where the blue Danube rolls,

Engraved there in characters clear,

Are “Stranger, when passing, pray for the soul

Of Abdul Abulbul Amir.”

 

A muscovite maiden her lone vigil keeps,

“Neath the light of the pale polar star,

And the name that she murmurs so oft as she weeps

Is Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.