Lyrics Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre, Op. 40 - Jerome Rosen, Boston Pops Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler

Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre, Op. 40

Zig, zig, zig, Death in cadence
Striking a tomb with his heel
Death at midnight plays a dance-tune
Zig, zig, zag, on his violin
The winter wind blows, and the night is dark;
Moans are heard in the linden trees
White skeletons pass through the gloom
Running and leaping in their shrouds
Zig, zig, zig, each one is frisking
You can hear the cracking of the bones of the dancers
A lustful couple sits on the moss
So as to taste long lost delights
Zig zig, zig, Death contines
The unending scraping on his instrument
A veil has fallen!
The dancer is naked
Her partner grasps her amorously
The lady, it’s said, is a marchioness or baroness
And her green gallant, a poor cartwright
Horror!
Look how she gives herself to him
Like the rustic was a baron
Zig, zig, zig.
What a saraband!
They all hold hands and dance in circles
Zig, zig, zag.
You can see in the crowd
The king dancing among the peasants
But hist!
All of a sudden, they leave the dance
They push forward, they fly;
the c*** has crowed
Oh what a beautiful night for the poor world!
Long live death and equality!