Nosza, legény, a táncba! Itt a leány, szedd ráncba: Ugrasd, forgasd, mind orsót; Köszöntsd reá a korsót! Ez az élet gyöngyélet! A sarkantyúd zörögjön, Fényes patkód dörögjön; Kezed, lábod mozogjon, A lejtőre hajuljon! Ez az élet gyöngyélet! Hipp-hopp, itt is, amott is, A mi házunk előtt is Menjünk táncba, vigadjunk, Egyet-kettőt ugorjunk! Ez az élet gyöngyélet!
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by John Bowring, Sir (1792 - 1872) , no title, subtitle: "Popular dancing song" ; composed by Ann Sheppard Mounsey, as Ann Sheppard Bartholomew.
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2024-07-26
Line count: 15
Word count: 56
Lads ! come hasten to the ball !
See the lasses waiting all ;
Shake your feet and form the line :
See the maidens ! Bring the wine !
Life is strung with pearls.
Hark ! the spurs are tinkling sweet,
Csizmas echo on the feet ;
Feet and hands move joyously,
And the dance is full of glee :
Life is strung with pearls.
Where the smiling maidens be,
There the happy youths we see ;
Up and down the waving row,
With Tartarian steps they go :
Life is full of pearls.
Woman ! thou whose spring is past,
Join the dance, though ' twere the last ;
Bask thee in the genial heat,
Warm thy heart, and shake thy feet :
Life is full of pearls !
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with John Bowring, Poetry of the Magyars, preceded by a sketch of the language and literature of Hungary and Transylvania, London, 1830, pages 298-299. Two notes appear in this edition as follows:
Stanza 2, line 2 ("csizmas": The csizmas or boots of the Hungarians
Stanza 3, line 4 ("Tartarian"): The irruption of the Tatars in the time of Bela the Fourth has still left its influences on the manners and language of the Magyars
Text Authorship:
- by John Bowring, Sir (1792 - 1872), no title, subtitle: "Popular dancing song" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Hungarian (Magyar) from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ann Sheppard Mounsey (1811 - 1891), as Ann Sheppard Bartholomew, "Life is full of pearls", subtitle: "An Hungarian dancing song", 1849 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2024-07-18
Line count: 20
Word count: 116