Gilbert and Sullivan Archive

The Rose of Persia
Song No. 12

The Sultan's Executioner
BBC Magazine CD
CD
1
Track
13
MIDI Icon MIDI File 32K, 2 min. 2 seconds.

OCTET. -- DANCING SUNBEAM, ROSE-IN-BLOOM, SCENT-OF- LILIES, HEART'S DESIRE, HONEY-OF-LIFE, HASSAN, YUSSUF, and ABDALLAH.

Sunbeam:
The Sultan's Executioner
The Royal Retributioner,
Will of course dispose of you
Without the smallest fuss;
You will p'r'aps be led
To a public place
By the hair of your head,
As a mark of disgrace;
Anyhow, you'll be dead
In a very short space --
Anyhow, you'll be dead in a very short space,
But what will become of us?
Others:
Yes -- what will become of them?
Hassan:
No -- what will become of me?
Others:
No -- what will become of them?
Hassan:
No -- what will become of me?

Hassan Others
of them?
of me?
of them?
of me?
of them?
of me?
of me? of me? of me? of them? of them? of them?

All:
For the Sultan's Executioner
The Royal Retributioner,
Will of course know what to do --
He acts with amazing phlegm:
Others:
You'll p'r'aps be led
To a public place
By the hair of your head,
As a mark of disgrace;
Anyhow, you'll be dead
In a very short space --
Anyhow, you'll be dead
In a very short space,
But what will become of them?
Hassan:
No -- what will become of me?
Others:
No -- what will become of them?
Hassan:
No -- what will become of me?

Hassan Others
me?
of them?
of me?
of them?
of me?
of them?
of me?

Sunbeam:

When the Royal Life-Long-Limiter
Has sharpened up his scimitar,
You'll very likely ride
In a sort of a private 'bus;
By a vulgar throng
To be roundly hissed;
But it won't be for long,
(So I wouldn't resist;)
At the sound of a gong
You will cease to exist!
At the sound of a gong
You will cease to exist!
But what will become of us?
Others:
Yes -- what will become of them?
Hassan:
No -- what will become of me?
Others:
No -- what will become of them/us?
Hassan:
No -- what will become of me?

Hassan Others
of them?
of me?
of them?
of me?
of them?
of me? of me? of me? of them? of them? of them?

All:
When the Royal Life-Long-Limiter
Has sharpened up his scimitar,
Misfortune's angry tide
Too late you will be to stem;
By a vulgar throng
You'll be roundly hissed;
But it won't be for long,
(So I wouldn't resist;)
At the sound of a gong you will cease to exist!
At the sound of a gong you will cease to exist!
But what will become of us/them?
Hassan:
No -- what will become of me?
Others:
Yes -- what will become of them/us?
Hassan:
No -- what will become of me?

Hassan Others
me?
them/us?
me?
them/us?
me?
them/us?
me?
them/us?
me?
them/us?
me?
them/us?

All:
what will become of us,
us, us, us, us, us, us, us, us, us, us, us, us, us?

Exit Dancing Sunbeam.

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Page updated 24 July 1999