Trees Full Of Tears
In 1476, after the confederates conquered areas and cities in the Vaud in advance of the Burgundian Wars and caused massacres among the population, Charles the Bold and his mighty army move against Grandson, which is occupied by confederates. He besieges the castle, whose defenders are ill-prepared and suffer from starvation. The noble Burgundy Rondchamps encourages the Swiss under false pretenses to surrender the castle. After a week, the Swiss capitulate and surrender to the mercy of the duke. Charles, however, executes the whole garrison. 412 men are hanged from trees or, for lack of space, drowned in the lake. «Rondchamps, Rondchamps,» the condemned allegedly screamed until their last breath. On the day after the surrender the Swiss army would have come to rescue the trapped people ...
From there «Grandson, Grandson!» turned into the battle cry against the Burgundians.
Charles:
I am Charles the Bold
Burgundy I hold
Dreaded I command
A terrible army at my hand
The Swiss have massacred
Our people in the Vaud
As they have challenged me
They’ll pay now for that fault
No mercy, I swear
This burden I’ll gladly bear
Grandson will not hold
Surrender to the Bold
Surrender to the Bold
Slaughter and mayhem
Drowned and hanged
Waving in the wind
Floating on the lake
And trees full of tears
Rondchamps:
I know, your food is gone
I know what hope is left
I’m afraid I have to tell
Do not hope, it is in vain
Freiburg, Bern, your home
We attack your town
No relief will come
But I’ll not let you down
The siege was long enough
Your ambition though was tough
Lay your life now in my hands
And I will save your lives
The Swiss:
Rondchamps
Traitor, we’ve trusted you
Rondchamps
We’ve laid our lives in your hands
Slaughter and mayhem
Drowned and hanged
Waving in the wind
Floating on the lake
And trees full of tears
Charles:
So at least you will surrender?
Rondchamps he is your defender?
His words mean nothing to me
Now you have to die
You’ve murdered in the Vaud
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
Hang them all!
Hang them all!
Graveyard in the trees
Ten men on one bough
The trees are bent down
And completely full
Hang them all
More victims than trees
Drown them in the lake
The rest is drowned in the lake
Cemetery lake
And the crows are celebrating …
The Swiss:
Charles
Merciless, we’ve surrendered
Charles
We’ve laid our lives in your hands
Slaughter and mayhem
Drowned and hanged
Waving in the wind
Floating on the lake
And trees full of tears