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Zig et zig et zig, 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 zig, 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!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Jean Lahor, Mélancholia, Paris: Alphonse Lemerre, 1868, pages 137 - 139. Note: this is the earliest version of the poem, which underwent some changes in later editions.Authorship:
- by Henri Cazalis (1840 - 1909), as Jean Lahor, "Égalité, Fraternité . . .", appears in Mélancholia, first published 1868 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Charles Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921), "Danse macabre", 1873, published 1873 [ baritone and piano or orchestra ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Dance of Death", copyright © 2016
- ENG English [singable] (Peter Low) , "Dance of Death", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Totentanz", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- RUS Russian (Русский) (Elena Kalinina) , "Пляска смерти", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Ted Perry , Melanie Trumbull
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 205
Zigger-zigger-zig tapping on a coffin here's the figure Death with a toothy grin. On 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 the snow-white skeletons off they go they run and they leap in their flowing shrouds. Zigger-zigger-zig how they skip and toss dancing to the beat rattling every bone. Now a randy pair lie 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 wraps 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 yields to his close embrace as if the young boor had a royal crown. Zigger-zigger-zig hand in hand a-dancing what a host of dead waltzing on the turf zigger-zigger-zag in their 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. Oh wonderful night when poor folk are free! So all praise to Death and Equality!
Authorship:
- Singable translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2008 by Peter Low, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Henri Cazalis (1840 - 1909), as Jean Lahor, "Égalité, Fraternité . . .", appears in Mélancholia, first published 1868
This text was added to the website: 2008-12-03
Line count: 28
Word count: 210