Lübeck's Dance of Death

Dodendantz, Introduction

Dodendantz

God vorboth Adam in deme paradyse:
Eth nicht van desser frucht, de ick dy wyse,
Deystu hir entyegen, so mostu sterven,
Nicht du alleyne, men ock al dyne erven.
Adam brack dat gheboth ane noth,
Alsus quam an uns de natürlike doth,
Dem wy nenerleyewys konen entwyken,
Olde, junge, ja de arme myt den ryken.
De hilghe schrift ropt myt allem flyd,
Dat hir jo is eyne korte tyd,

God forbade Adam in Paradise:
Do not eat from this fruit that I show you.
If you do against this, then you must die;
not you alone, but also all your heirs.
Adam broke the ban without need.
Thus came over us the natural death,(1)

which we by no means can avoid.
Old, young - yes the poor with the rich.
The Holy Scripture shouts with all diligence
that [life] here is a short time.

(1) See the page about the original sin