His fame is like Alexander's, But when will he ever come home? Mironton, mironton, mirontaine. Perhaps at Trinity Feast, or Perhaps he may come at Easter, Egad! he had better make haste or We fear he may never come home. Mironton etc. For Trinity Feast is over, And has brought no news from Dover, And Easter is pass'd moreover, And Marlborough still delays. Milady in her watch-tower Spends many a pensive hour, Not knowing why or how her Dear lord from England stays. While sitting quite forlorn in That tower, she spies returning A page clad in deep mourning, With fainting steps and slow. "O page, prithee come faster! What news do you bring of your master? I fear there is some disaster, Your looks are so full of woe." "The news I bring fair lady," With sorrowful accent said he, "Is one you are not ready So soon, alas! to hear. "But since to speak I'm hurried," Added this page, quite flurried, "Marlborough is dead and buried!" And here he shed a tear. "He's dead! He's dead as a herring! For I beheld his berring, And four officers transferring His corpse away from the field. "One officer carried his sabre, And he carried it not without labour, Much envying his next neighbour, Who only bore a shield. "The third was helmet bearer – That helmet which in its wearer Fill'd all who saw it with terror, And cover'd a hero's brains. "Now, having got so far, I Find that – by the Lord Harry! The fourth is left nothing to carry. So there the thing remains." Mironton, mironton, mirontaine. In popular culture The song is one of several contemporary tunes that are played by the musical box of the Negress head clock, made in Paris in 1784. Rita Dove references the song and the clock in her 2009 poem "Ode on a Negress Head Clock, with Eight Tunes". Ludwig van Beethoven used the tune to represent the French in his musical work Wellington's Victory. Footnotes Further reading External links "Mort et convoi de l'invincible Malbrough", score Original French song and its German version Original French song and its English version 1709 songs Cultural depictions of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough French folk songs French-language songs Songs about military officers Songs based on actual events Songs by war War of the Spanish Succession