Caleno custure me

Caleno custure me (also spelled Calin o custure me) is the title of a song mentioned in Shakespeare's Henry V (IV,4). The context is on a Hundred Years' War battlefield, where an English soldier cannot understand his French captive and intending to answer in similar gibberish pronounces the title of the song.


 * French Soldier
 * Je pense que vous etes gentilhomme de bonne qualite.
 * PISTOL
 * Qualtitie calmie custure me! Art thou a gentleman?
 * what is thy name? discuss.
 * French Soldier
 * O Seigneur Dieu!

The song as preserved has English lyrics, with this single line of mock-Latin as its Chorus. The origin of the line is not Latin, however, but is most commonly believed to refer to the Irish-language song Cailín Óg a Stór. It has also been claimed to be from the Irish Cailín ó Chois tSiúre mé, "I am a girl from the Suir-side" from the 17th century Irish poem Mealltar bean le beagán téad.