The Courtroom Songtext

von Martin Guerre

JUDGE:
I am here on the orders of the court of Toulouse
And before I hear the accused man's defence
I must state that this charge is a serious crime
For the law never pardons deceit and pretence

PIERRE:
This man is a witch
That day he came
The rain began
I brought the rain, he said

ARNAUD:
But that's a lie

MADAME DE ROLS:
He told us that he was Martin Guerre

ARNAUD:
It's you who did

PIERRE:
This man's a Protestant. My Lord

CATHOLICS:
He must be hanged, my Lord

PROTESTANTS:
Listen
My Lord listen
To this outrage
He is innocent
My Lord

CATHOLICS (overlapping with the above):
The man's a Protestant my Lord
He told us he was Martin Guerre

PIERRE & CATHOLICS:
He must be hanged like demons are

JUDGE:
It's I who shall decide his fate!
Call the first witness. State your name.

MATILDE:
Matilde...

JUDGE:
You know the defendant?

MATILDE:
When he was young I know he had a wart
It's on his thumb perhaps he'll show the court

ARNAUD:
Matilde is right, I had a wart my Lord
Until some soldier caught my with his sword

BAPTISTE:
My Lord...
He had a mark
Beneath his nose
If you look close
The mark still shows

ARNAUD:
And sad to say, the mark still grows...

JEANNE:
Satan's mark!

GALOCHE:
I am the cobbler and unless I'm drunk
He's someone else, my Lord, or else he's shrunk!

ARNAUD:
Lord above!

GUILLAUME:
And if he has I swear to God this proves

ARNAUD:
This proves what?

GUILLAUME:
The devil's work has brought him cloven hooves

ANDRÉ:
When he came back
You would fight to wash his feet

CATHERINE:
As if he was the very son of God

ARNAUD:
My Lord, for once my life seemed so complete

EMILE:
Listen to Guillaume!

GUILLAUME:
Martin Guerre never touched a girl

ARNAUD:
He speaks the truth, I was too you to love
But as you've heard I've wasted no more time...

JUDGE:
Enough!
Bring Benoit, I have some questions...
Monsieur, take the stand
Now Benoit
You were there that day
In the forest all alone

BENOIT:
I was not
My Louison was with me

JUDGE:
We may call her later on