THE THIEF OF BAGDAD
Music by Miklós Rózsa
All lyrics by Lord Robert Vansittart except as noted
SEAMAN’S SONG
I’ll never know why men come back from sea.
The sea is cruel, but the sea is clean.
The cause of this vast purity must be that men at sea are few and far between.
Hardship is all she ever gave to me
And yet I ask why men come back from sea.
The sea is cruel, but the sea is clean.
Oh poor brown earth, how kind you might have been.
THE THIEF’S SONG
Lyrics by Rebecca Devereux
I’m told that if by working hard you’ll share the riches of the world,
But stealing is no easy game, I’m sure you will agree.
Yes, I could be a sailor man sailing out to sea,
But I’ve a skill I use so well – a thieving life for me!
THE MARKET (Original Version)
Lyrics by Lord Robert Vansittart
Additional Lyrics by Rebecca Devereux
Abu: Follow my lead, little friends, and I’ll teach you how to live like a prince, even when you’ve no money in your purse.
Merchants: Fruit, sweet fruit. Melons.
Children: See him run! Watch him spree, watch him spree! No one can catch a thief like he!
Merchants: Melon. Sweet fruit.
Abu: Quickly, this way – hurry, hurry – but quietly as mice!
Children (spoken): Stoop down low. Jump up high! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Snatch from your hand as he passes by!
Merchants: Stop thief. Stop thief.
Children: Thanks be to Allah. Thanks be to Abu.
Abu: Quickly now, let’s move on; but careful you don’t get seen!
Merchants: Don’t be fooled, by his disguise; he’ll stop at nothing ’til he takes his prize!
Customers: Let us but smell the smallest of your fish. Let us but taste the stalest of your fish.
Children: Stealer of the goods, a marvellous mind. Most masterful deceiver of his kind.
Merchants: Stop thief! Catch him!
Children (whispered): Stoop down low. Jump up high.
Children: Fish do fall from the waters of the Heavens, or from the Milky Way. Thanks be to Allah. Thanks be to Abu.
Abu: You’re doing well, my friends, but let’s keep going – there’s more to learn! Now, let’s see – who can bring me the juiciest melon, and the fullest purse?
Abu: Run, everyone, run!!
Merchants: Catch him. Stop him. Flay him. Catch him. That’s him there. That’s him there, the arch-thief of Bagdad.
Children: Crouching low, on the ground. We must be sure not to make a sound.
Merchants: Where is he? Catch him, stop him. Make way, make way.
Abu: OK, little ones – I’ll distract them, while you do your worst.
Merchants: That boy he is a thief, just a common little robber. Where’s the Kadi? Call the Kadi! My purse. My fruit. My melon. Beat the boy – he is a thief, just a common little robber. Catch him, stop him. Make way there. Who are you to have the street to yourself? Make way there, make way. Who are you? Who are you? Who are you?
Abu: Oh no, the Sultan’s Kadi! We’d best avoid him, unless you want to spend a night in the dungeons – now, stoop down low!
Merchants (shouted): The Kadi! The Kadi!
Solo Merchant: Careful of your wand’ring eyes. One can’t catch a thief who’s out of sight!
Merchants: Stealer of the goods. A slith’ring snake. A masterful deceiver, he must pay! He must pay! He must pay!
Abu: My friends, I think you are ready…
Children (spoken): See us run! Watch us spree! No one can catch thieves like we!
Merchants: Ring gone. Stop him! Stop thieves! Catch them. Stop them!
Children: Ah …
I WANT TO BE A SAILOR
I want to be a sailor sailing out to sea.
No ploughboy, tinker, tailor’s any fun to be.
Aunts and cousins, by the baker’s dozen,
Drive a man to sea, or highway robbery.
I want to be a bandit; can’t you understand it?
Sailing to sea is life for me, is life for me.
LOVE SONG
Oh throbbing heart of mine, be still today.
We must await the word that all men say.
And when oh heart of mine, it comes to you,
Leap up rememb’ring, it might be true.
It might be true.
WALTZ SONG
Lyrics by Rebecca Devereux
La la la la la la.
My love, I long for you dearly.
True love, always to be near me.
Never will I wish to be without your sweet melody.
For you sing it …
Our love sings to me so gaily,
My love, promise me to stay and never to part,
For you’re the one who holds my heart,
My one true love.
BALLAD
Two hearts were lost this spring among the flowers.
And only one was found; that heart was ours.
And now that you are lost, that heart’s a stone.
But which, for who can find two hearts alone?
THE DJINN’S SONG
I’m free, you worm, and you can squirm,
And let the sons of Earth beware!
You all are just a dance of dust,
Mere sport to spirits of the air.
Lie still and pray with lips of clay
For truth that nature cannot know.
Beseech in vain the wind that whips,
The sun that kisses you and stings.
To cry to us elemental things
And find us deaf and go, and go.