Danse Macabre OP.40, on violin & piano.


Jig, jig, jig, Death in cadence,
Striking with his heel a tomb,
Death at midnight plays a dance-tune,
Jig, jig, jig, on his violin.

The winter wind blows and the night is dark;
Moans are heard in the lime trees.
White skeletons flit across the gloom,
Running and leaping in their shrouds.

Tap, tap, tap, everyone's astir,
You hear the bones of the dancers knock,
A lustful couple sit down on the moss,
As if to savour past delights.

Tap, tap, tap, Death continues,
Endlessly scraping his shrill violin.
A veil has slipped! The dancer's naked!
Her partner clasps her amorously.

They say she's a baroness or marchioness,
And the callow gallant a poor cartwright.
Oh what Horror! Now she's giving herself,
As though the lout were a baron!

Tap, tap, tap, what a saraband!
Circles of corpses all holding hands!
Tap, tap, tap, in the throng you can see
King and peasant dancing together!

But shh! Suddenly the dance is ended,
They jostle and take flight - the cock has crowed;
Ah! Nocturnal beauty shines on the poor!
And long live death and equality!



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