Danse Macabre Poem

[mosis]

I went to see a classical music concert today, and Danse Macabre, by Camille Saint-Saens, was played. Prior to the performance, the Maestro read an excerpt from the "Dance of Death." After the concert, I spoke to him, and he told me that the poem is found with the original score and was the inspiration to write the piece (the dark violin tune being the "Zig zig zig of the Song of Death" and the xylophones being the rattling of bones). I was wondering if I could find this poem anywhere on the Internet? It kicks copious amounts of posterior.

Thanks!

[allchopin]

It is based from Henry Cazalis' "Dies Irae."

Zig et zig et zag, la Mort en cadence 
 Frappant une tombe avec son talon, 
 La mort ˙ 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 g˙missements sortent des tilleuls; 
 Les squelettes blancs vont ˙ travers l'ombre 
 Courant et sautant sous leurs grands linceuls, 
 
 Zig et zig et zag, chacun se tr˙mousse, 
 On entend claquer les os des danseurs, 
 Un couple lascif s'asseoit sur la mousse 
 Comme pour go˙ter d'anciennes douceurs. 
 
 Zig et zig et zag, la mort continue 
 De racler sans fin son aigre instrument. 
 Un voile est tomb˙! 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 voil˙ qu'elle s'abandonne 
 Comme si le rustre ˙tait 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 aupr˙s du vilain! 
 
 Mais psit! tout ˙ coup on quitte la ronde, 
 On se pousse, on fuit, le coq a chant˙ 
 Oh! La belle nuit pour le pauvre monde! 
 Et vive la mort et l'˙galit˙! 
----------
 Jig, jig, jig, Death in cadence, 
 Striking with his heel a tomb, 
 Death at midnight plays a dance-tune, 
 Jig, jig, jig, on his violin. 
 
 The winter wind blows and the night is dark; 
 Moans are heard in the lime trees. 
 White skeletons flit across the gloom, 
 Running and leaping in their shrouds. 
 
 Tap, tap, tap, everyone's astir, 
 You hear the bones of the dancers knock, 
 A lustful couple sit down on the moss, 
 As if to savour past delights. 
 
 Tap, tap, tap, Death continues, 
 Endlessly scraping his shrill violin. 
 A veil has slipped! The dancer's naked! 
 Her partner clasps her amorously. 
 
 They say she's a baroness or marchioness, 
 And the callow gallant a poor cartwright. 
 Oh what Horror! Now she's giving herself, 
 As though the lout were a baron! 
 
 Tap, tap, tap, what a saraband! 
 Circles of corpses all holding hands! 
 Tap, tap, tap, in the throng you can see 
 King and peasant dancing together! 
 
 But shh! Suddenly the dance is ended, 
 They jostle and take flight - the cock has crowed; 
 Ah! Nocturnal beauty shines on the poor! 
 And long live death and equality! 

[liszt1022]

I went to see a classical music concert today, and Danse Macabre, by Camille Saint-Saens, was played. Prior to the performance, the Maestro read an excerpt from the "Dance of Death." After the concert, I spoke to him, and he told me that the poem is found with the original score and was the inspiration to write the piece (the dark violin tune being the "Zig zig zig of the Song of Death" and the xylophones being the rattling of bones). I was wondering if I could find this poem anywhere on the Internet? It kicks copious amounts of posterior.

Thanks!

hey! I answered you on livejournal!
if you find another pianist, that duet is awesome. definitely check it out.