Dance of Death

Zig and zig and zig, Death rhythmically

Taps upon a tomb with his heel;

Death at midnight plays a dance air,

Zig and zig and zig on his violin.

The winter wind blows and the night is gloomy,

Groaning comes from the lime trees;

White skeletons move through the shadows,

Running and jumping under their large shrouds.

Zig and zig and zig, everyone is moving,

We hear the bones of the dancers banging,

A lascivious couple sits upon the moss

As if to taste ancient pleasures again.

Zig and zig and zag, Death continues,

Scraping without end his harsh-sounding violin.

A veil has fallen! The dancer is nude!

Her partner squeezes her amorously.

The lady is said to be a marchioness or baroness,

And the crude gallant a poor cartwright --

Horrors! And look, she gives herself to him

As though the churl were a baron!

Zig and zig and zig, what a saraband!

What circles of the dead, all holding hands!

Zig and zig and zag, we see in the crowd

King frolicking with peasant!

But shh! Suddenly the dance is over,

one pushes, one takes flight: the rooster has crowed;

Oh! A beautiful night for the poor world!

And long live Death and Equality!