Veličenstvo Kat [English translation]

In the gloomy lighting

of the Gothic hall

frightened pawnbrokers

gaze into the missals

and horde of the murderers

demands a blessing,

after all - the first of the knights

is his Majesty the Headsman,

a-a-a, the first of the knights

is his Majesty the Headsman

The priest-devil who celebrates the mass

has got a stole made of noose,

beneath the purple surplice

is a bottle of vitriol,

the scent of sulfur from the mortars

flows up to the red cowl

of first of the knights,

lo - his Majesty the Headsman

first of the knights,

lo - his Majesty the Headsman

On the national banner

is the emblem with a guillotine,

made from the razor wire,

it smells of rotting meat,

land nests the unkindness of ravens,

nation is ruled by the executioner

King kneels before Satan,

looks forward for a scepter,

and mob beneath the plane tree

foretells an advice of the wise,

and the crowd of heretics

is rejoicing and cheering,

after all - the first of the knights

is his Majesty the Headsman,

a-a-a, the first of the knights

is his Majesty the Headsman

On the street corner

a murderer is preaching about the morality,

in front of the prison gates

the guards are patrolling,

on the soldier armor

is vividly written in black

that first of the knights

is his Majesty the Headsman,

a-a-a, that first of the knights

is his Majesty the Headsman

Above the government palace

soars a banner with the guillotine,

children like the ice cream cones,

judges were angry at them,

they had an ice cream man killed

Horrible was this country

when you had to watch

how they forbade to write

and forbade to sing,

and it wasn't enough for them -

they ordered children

to pray the way it was wished by

his Majesty the Headsman,

a-a-a, to pray the way it was wished by

his Majesty the Headsman

With a grin Devil saw

a share for everyone,

son hated his father,

brother harmed his brother,

only a death's-head hawkmoth

is floating above that land

where in the circle of empty heads

dwells his Majesty the Headsman,

a-a-a, where in the circle of empty heads

dwells his Majesty the Headsman.

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