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The Princess of Pure Delight - Ira Gershwin,
Kurt Weill
The Prince in orange and the Prince in blue,
and the Prince whose raiment was of lavender hue;
they sighed and they suffered and they tossed at night for the neighboring Princess
of pure delight.
(Spoken – Who was secretly in love with a minstrel!)
Her father, the King, didn't know which to choose,
there were two charming Princes he'd have to refuse.
So he called for the dean of his sorcerers, and inquired which one was to win
her hand.
(Spoken – Which they always did in those days.)
"My king, here's a riddle, you test them tonight:
'What word of five letters is never spelled right?
What word of five letters is always spelled wrong?
The on who can answer will be wedded ere long!' "
(Spoken – "That will be twenty guilden, please.")
The King called the three and he told them the test;
the while his fair daughter kept beating her breast.
He put them the riddle, they failed as he feared.
Then all of the sudden, the Minstrel appeared
(Spoken – Quite out of breath!)
"I'll answer that riddle!" cried the singer
of song.
"What's never spelled right in five letters is 'wrong.'
And it's right to spell 'wrong' DOUBLE-U R-O-N-G.
Your Highness, the Princess belongeth to me!"
(Spoken – "And I love her anyway!"
"Be off with you, villain!" the King cried in rage.
"For my Princess a Prince! Not a man from the stage!"
"But, Sire," said the minstrel, "
'Tis love makes me say, no King who's a real King treats lovers this way.
(Spoken – It isn't sporting!)
And if you're no real King, no Princess is she; and if she's no Princess, then
she can wed me."
"By Gad!" cried his Highness, "You
handsome young knave, I fear me you're right!" and his blessing he gave.
(Spoken – As a trumpeter began to trumpet.)
The Princess then quickly came out of her swoon, and she looked at her swain
and her world was in tune.
And the castle soon rang with cheer and with laughter;
and, of course, they lived happily ever after.
