Will You, Won't You?

Song Cycle by Elinor Armer (b. 1939) 

Dance Suite for Voice and Piano

for Mariya Kaganskaya

1. Lobster Quadrille  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail.
"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle -- will you come and join the dance? 
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?

"You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!"
But the snail replied "Too far, too far!" and gave a look askance --
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.

"What matters it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied.
"There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The [further]1 off from England the nearer is to France --
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance. 
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?"

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1 Armer, Ligeti: "farther"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

2. The Dance
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
In Brueghel's great picture, The Kermess
 [ ... ]

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3. Sweet Dancer  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
The girl goes dancing there
On the leaf-sown, new-mown, smooth
Grass plot of the garden;
Escaped from bitter youth,
Escaped out of her crowd,
Or out of her black cloud.
Ah, dancer, ah, sweet dancer!

If strange men come from the house
To lead her away, do not say
That she is happy being crazy;
Lead them gently astray;
Let her finish her dance,
Let her finish her dance.
Ah, dancer, ah, sweet dancer!

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First published in London Mercury, March 1938

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

4. Rikki‑Tikki‑Tavi  [sung text not yet checked]

Subtitle: In which the mongoose Rikki-Tikki-Tavi battles the cobra Nag to the death

Language: English 
At the hole where he went in
Red-Eye called to Wrinkle-Skin.
Hear what little Red-Eye saith:
'Nag, come up and dance with death!'
Eye to eye and head to head,
(Keep the measure, Nag.)
This shall end when one is dead;
(At thy pleasure, Nag.)
Turn for turn and twist for twist --
(Run and hide thee, Nag.)
Hah! The hooded Death has missed!
(Woe betide thee, Nag!)

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Note: Armer's text has different punctuation and capitalization and Armer adds a whispered "Rk! Tk! t-k-t-k tchk!" after line 2.


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

5. The Lost Dances of Cranes
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Your fields are empty now
 [ ... ]

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6. Middle

Language: English 
— This text is not currently
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Total word count: 444