Uzi Dornai | Danza macabra | Danse macabre | Dance of Death

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Danse Macabre Opus 40 (1874)

Composer: Saint Saens, Camille (1835-1921), French
Lyricist : Henri Cazalis

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DANSE MACABRE	DANCE OF DEATH
Henri Cazalis	trans. Peter Low
Zig et zig et zag, la mort en cadence Frappant une tombe avec son talon, La mort à minuit joue un air de danse, Zig et zig et zag, sur son violon. Le vent d'hiver souffle, et la nuit est sombre, Des gémissements sortent des tilleuls; Les squelettes blancs vont à travers l'ombre Courant et sautant sous leurs grands linceuls, Zig et zig et zag, chacun se trémousse, On entend claquer les os des danseurs, Un couple lascif s'asseoit sur la mousse Comme pour goûter d'anciennes douceurs. Zig et zig et zag, la mort continue De racler sans fin son aigre instrument. Un voile est tombé! La danseuse est nue! Son danseur la serre amoureusement. La dame est, dit-on, marquise ou baronne. Et le vert galant un pauvre charron - Horreur! Et voilà qu'elle s'abandonne Comme si le rustre était un baron! Zig et zig et zig, quelle sarabande! Quels cercles de morts se donnant la main! Zig et zig et zag, on voit dans la bande Le roi gambader auprès du vilain! Mais psit! tout à coup on quitte la ronde, On se pousse, on fuit, le coq a chanté Oh! La belle nuit pour le pauvre monde! Et vive la mort et l'égalité!	Zigger-zigger-zig tapping on a coffin Death has got a beat and a toothy grin. At the stroke of twelve plays a crazy polka zigger-zigger-zag on his violin. The night is dark, the winter winds blow the tree-branches creak in the stormy clouds and off the whitened skeletons go they skip and they leap in their flowing shrouds. Zigger-zigger-zig how they frisk and toss dancing to the beat rattling every bone. Now a lustful pair sit down on the moss hoping to repeat pleasures they had known. Zigger-zigger-zag Death is keeping at it scraping out the tune on his violin. Two have lost their veils they are dancing naked he gives her a squeeze like a carnal sin. The lady they say is of noble race her partner a lad from the market town but oh! she welcomes his embrace as if the young boor had a royal crown. Zigger-zigger-zig hand in hand a-dancing what a host of dead risen from the turf zigger-zigger-zag in that ghostly party is the king himself romping with a serf. But hush! all at once their hands let go. They jostle, they flee they've heard the cock crow. How lovely that night when poor folk are free! So all praise to Death and equality!

And another translation

Zig et zig et zag, la mort cri cadence	Tap, tap, tap - Death rhythmically,
Frappant une tombe avec son talon,	Taps a tomb with his heel,
La mort à minuit joue un air de danse,	Death at midnight plays a gigue,
Zig et zig et zag, sur son violon.	Tap, tap, tap, on his violin.

Le vent d'hiver souffle, et la nuit est sombre,	The Winter wind blows, the night is dark,
Des gémissements sortent des tilleuls;	The lime-trees groan aloud;
Les squelettes blancs vont à travers l'ombre	White skeletons flit across the gloom,
Courant et sautant sous leurs grands linceuls,	Running and leaping beneath their huge shrouds.

Zig et zig et zag, chacun se trémousse,	Tap, tap, tap, everyone's astir,
On entend claquer les os des danseurs,	You hear the bones of the dancers knock,
Un couple lascif s'asseoit sur la mousse	A lustful couple sits down on the moss,
Comme pour goûter d'anciennes douceurs.	As if to savour past delights.

Zig et zig et zag, la mort continue	Tap, tap, tap, Death continues,
De racler sans fin son aigre instrument.	Endlessly scraping his shrill violin.
Un voile est tombé! La danseuse est nue!	A veil has slipped! The dancer's naked!
Son danseur la serre amoureusement.	Her partner clasps her amorously.

La dame est, dit-on, marquise ou baronne.	They say she's a baroness or marchioness,
Et le vert galant un pauvre charron -	And the callow gallant a poor cartwright.
Horreur! Et voilà qu'elle s'abandonne	Good God! And now she's giving herself,
Comme si le rustre était un baron!	As though the bumpkin were a baron!

Zig et zig et zig, quelle sarabande!	Tap, tap, tap, what a saraband!
Quels cercles de morts se donnant la main!	Circles of corpses all holding hands!
Zig et zig et zag, on voit dans la bande	Tap, tap, tap, in the throng you can see
Le roi gambader auprès du vilain!	King and peasant dancing together!

Mais psit! tout à coup on quitte la ronde,	But shh! Suddenly the dance is ended,
On se pousse, on fuit, le coq a chanté	They jostle and take flight - the cock has crowed;
Oh! La belle nuit pour le pauvre monde!	Ah! Nocturnal beauty shines on the poor!
Et vive la mort et l'égalité!	And long live death and equality!

Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo. 
I was not, I was, I am not, I do not care.

What you are,
We once were,
What we are,
You shall be.

Beware you people passing by,
As you are now, so once was I,
And as I am now, so must you be,
Prepare for death and follow me.

Elias Canetti,

The chapter "cemeteries" from his book : "Masse und Macht" (Crowds and Power) translated to Hebrew: