Král a kalun [English translation]

A King rode to war,

to a place far away

and along with him,

he brought a Fool on a mule.

And under the visor that he wore,

from his facial expression,

you would not notice a liar,

who hid away his fear.

People quietly whispered at the horror,

Inter arma silent Musae1.

Instead of a bell, his armour clinked,

a King rode to war,

to a far distant region,

and along with his legions,

he brought a Fool on a mule.

A King rode to war,

and he barely left,

he burned every village,

and conquered every city.

The Fool's eyes were filled with rage,

as he looked at the arsonists,

as they washed their hands with steam,

removing the dust and the blood.

People quietly whispered at the horror,

Inter arma silent Musae1,

instead of a lute, he held a sword in his hands.

A King rode to war,

and he he barely left,

he burned every village,

and conquered every city.

A King rode to war,

with that murderous mob.

The Fool trembled in horror,

and thought out vengeance.

When the evening was calm,

he deceived the soldiers,

and with no arms,

he roused the masses.

Everywhere, he cried out to the horror,

in war, the Muses keep their silence,

but men do never remain silent.

A King rode to war,

with that murderous mob.

The Fool trembled in horror,

and thought out vengeance.

A King rode to war,

and in the gentle, red sky,

he beheld the heads of the miserable,

as they were lead by the fool.

And when the West set into flames,

the streams darkened.

the Fool never had an idea,

to how the king died,

People quietly whispered at the horror,

Inter arma silent Musae1.

From the fear the King got a stroke.

The Fool softly laughed,

and the land lived on,

and there was no King.

The fool played on his lute.

The fool played on his lute.

1. a. b. c. Latin, meaning: In times of war, the law falls silent. In this rendition, it would be more like "Among times of arms, muses fall silent".

• Artist:Karel Kryl
• Album:Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka