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Hieronymus Hess's book La Danse des Morts à Basle de Jn. Holbein / Basler Todtentanz von Hans Holbein from 1841 included not only the German dialogues from the mural, byt rhymed translations into French and English as well.
The English translations are written in a slightly strange language, but on the other hand they have value because the translator/poet was closer to the mural in time, place, language and culture than most of us.
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O man be wise,
Hier this figure,
Do not despise,
Of every creature.
Death will take,
Soon ore late,
Like the flowers,
In the field does fade.
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Death to the Pope.
Come holy father dear to me,
A prime dance you may have you see,
Indulgences help's you not away
Nor cross nor triple crown I say.
Answer of the Pope.
Holy was I call'd upon earth,
God excepted had I the highest worth,
The indulgences greatly rewarded me
Now death w'ont spare me as you see.
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Death to the Emperor.
Sire emperor with your gray beard,
Your repentance, you have to long spared
Therefore don't resist, you must away
And dance after the tune my whistle does play.
Answer of the Emperor.
My empire I could very well encrease
To fight and defend againts wrong with ease.
Now death has entirely conquered me
That I am no more like an emperor, you see.
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Death to the Emperess.
I dance to you, lady emperess fine,
Leap after me, the dance is mine,
Of your courtiers you are forsaken,
And by death you are, overtaken.
Answer of the Emperess.
My body had much luxurious pride,
I lived as a hight emperor's wife.
Now I am forced to this dance,
All mirth and spirit goes at once.
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Death to the King.
Sir king, your power has an end,
I lead you now, here by my hand,
To this meager brother's dance,
There one gives you the death's garland.
Answer of the King.
I have lived in great power,
And strove ever, for great honour
Now I am in death's bands,
Much entangled in his hands.
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Death to the Queen.
Lady queen, your joy is out,
Leap with me to the charnel house,
No beauty helps you neither cash nor gold,
I jump with you in the other world.
Answer of the Queen.
O woe! o ah! o woe! and ever,
Where tarry now my genteel women,
On whom, I had my greatest taste,
O death do gently with me not haste.
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Death to the Cardinal.
Jump up with you red suit,
Sir cardinal the dance is good,
To the layman you did much blessings bestow,
You must now too, come to this row.
Answer of the Cardinal.
I was by election, of the pope,
Cardinal of the holy church;
The world in great honour held me,
Still against death, I can't defend me.
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Death to the Bishop.
Your dignity away has turn'd,
Lord bishop, wise and well learn'd!
I will draw you into this row,
And you will not escape your foe.
Answer of the Bishop.
I have been highly esteemed,
Was well in bishop's order deem'd;
Now draw me the unshap'd
To their dance like an ape.
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Death to the Duke.
Have you leap'd wid ladies well dress'd,
Proud duke, you have had good success,
This you must amend at the row,
We[l]come, to greet death below.
Answer of the Duke.
O murder! must thus haste away,
Leave, land, wife, child behind you say,
God in thy kingdom, have mercy on me,
I shall now resemble my dancer you see.
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Death to the Dutchess.
Lady dutchess by good cheer'd!
Though you are of noble breed,
High esteem'd upon this earth,
To me you are dear and worth.
Answer of the Dutchess.
Ah god! the poor sounds of the lute,
Must I with this horrid man dispute,
Dutchess to day now no more so,
O anguish, o grief! o woe, woe!
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Death to the Count.
Lord count give me the messengers fee,
Bitter death drends you away you see;
Do not repine at your wife and cattle,
You must dance now with this rabble.
Answer of the Count.
In this world I was well renoun'd,
And even call'd a noble count;
Now am I slain by death at once,
And placed here in to his dance.
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Death to the Abbot.
Sir abbot I draw you the mitre off,
Therefore, no more you want your staff;
Have you a good pastor been,
You are the glory of your flock I mean.
Answer of the Abbot.
To an abbot myself I raised,
And lived in honour and was praised,
Th'o nobody opposed me,
Still, equal now to death I be.
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Death to the Knight.
Lord knight you are written down,
Knighthood you must carry on,
With death and his rabble,
It helps neither fighting nor battle.
Answer of the Knight.
I as a good and severe knight,
Have served this world with might,
Now I am against knighthoods law,
Forced to his dance, o woe!.
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Death to the Lawyer.
No fund helps here nor to court,
Neither delay nor appeal,
Death forces all gender,
Both church and civil law defender.
Answer of the Lawyer.
From god all laws are given us,
As one will easy find in books.
No lawyer them shall bend,
Hate the lies and truth defend.
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Death to the Senator.
Have you been of the town a lord,
Who in the senate had his worth
Have you well advised is good for you
Your hat now drawing off I do.
Answer of the Senator.
I have endeavoured day and night
That the best of the common considered be might,
Search'd the glory and profit of poor and rich,
What I fancied be good for majority I wish'd.
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Death to the Canon.
Sir quire monk have you been singing
Much sweet song, in your choir
Hear now the sound of the pipe
Announces your for death be ripe.
Answer of the Canon.
I sung as a canon free
Of voices many of melody,
The pipe of death not equal be,
There fore so much it frightned me.
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Death to the Doctor.
Sir doctor behold the anatomy
If it be well done on me,
Many one where dispa[t]ch'd by thee,
Who even now ressembles me.
Answer of the Doctor.
I have with my viewing the water
Helped both mother and father;
Who views now my water pray?
As I must now with death away.
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Death to the Nobleman.
Come here now you noble sword,
Manhood to attend upon my word,
With death who has no regard,
Bless you this is your reward.
Answer of the Nobleman.
I have frightned many a chap,
Who was covered with an iron cap;
Now furious death fights with me,
And brings me in great need you see.
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Death to the Lady.
Noble lady let your planting,
Here with death you must be dancing;
I don't spare your yello hair,
What see you in the miror fair?
Answer of the Lady.
O trouble! o grief! what happened to me?
For truly death in the miror I see;
His horrid shape, thus frightned me,
That the heart in my body cold will be.
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Death to the Merchant.
Mister merchant let your striving
For time is come you must be dying,
Death takes no gold and no cash,
Therefore dance here with free courage.
Answer of the Merchant.
I for to life, provided well,
My chests and boxes were all full,
Death my fine gift has despis'd,
And me of body and life depriv'd.
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Death to the Abbess.
Gracious lady abbess me!
What a small belly you have I see,
This I never would reproach ye,
Ere would I in my finger bite me.
Answer of the Abbess.
I have often read the psalter,
In the choir, before the altar,
Now no prayer will help me,
I must now follow death you see.
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Death to the Cripple.
Upon your cruch, hopple this way,
For death now will you draw away,
As unworthy of the world thou be
Still let me have a dance with thee.
Answer of the Cripple.
A poor cripple upon this earth
For a friend, is nobody worth,
But death now his friend will be
And take him like the rich you see.
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Death to the Hermit.
Brother come and leave thy cell,
Thy light I now extinguish well,
Therefor make thee on the way,
With thy white long beard I say.
Answer of the Hermit.
I have been a long time wearing,
A hairy gown now helps me nothing,
Am even not safe, in my cell,
The hour is come, tis very well.
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Death to the Youngman.
Youngman whither wilt thou walk,
Turn thee away, this is my talk,
There thou shalt thy amour find,
This I announce thee very kind.
Answer of the Youngman.
With gluttoning and banquetting,
At night in the streets to court and sing,
In this I had my joy and pleasure,
And never thought of my departure.
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Death to the Usurer.
Thy gold and cash, I don't look on,
Thou usurer and wicked man,
Christ learn'd thee this not, by his word,
A black death now, is thy consort.
Answer of the Usurer.
Of the doctrine of Christ I car'd not much,
My usure brought me more than such,
Now must I all behind me leaving,
What help's my scraping and my sparing.
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Death to the Maid.
Ah maid your fine and rosy mouth
At this hour I take the colour out,
With young lads you lik'd to spring,
With me to dance this is the thing.
Answer of the Maid.
O woe! how terrible has thou me taken,
Of all spirit and joy, am I forsaken,
To dance I don't desire that's true,
I fare away, adieu, adieu.
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Death to the Fairpiper.
What a dance, shall we now play,
The beggar or the blackboy say?
Fairpiper we could not prance,
Wert thou not by this dance.
Answer of the Fairpiper.
No fair was too distant for me to start,
Of which I should not have my part,
Now it is out away must I,
My pipe now in the dirt does lie.
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Death to the Herald.
Herald in thy fine red cap,
Thou are catch'd in my trap,
By princes thou wast dear and worth,
Thy staff throw from thee, on the earth.
Answer of the Herald.
To the emperor I was dear and worth,
Of him I had present and horse,
Many were frightened at my speaking,
Now death has findely stepp'd my talking.
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Death to the Bailiff.
Up bailiff, this time, is just the right,
That soul and body, together fight,
This on my lute I do you sing,
and after this song, you may spring.
Answer of the Bailiff.
My charge with diligence I've done
And did I hope to nobody wrong,
At court, the poor as the rich,
O god! have mercy this I wish.
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Death to the Executioner
Heigh ! man of blood with acute glave
Though in profession you are brave
But still I saw you executed
The innocents (like wretches confuted.)
Answer of the Executioner.
I polled, I broke upon the wheel
I put to death by way of steel
But I was Organ for many a Lord
These get to dance they may afford.
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Death to the Fool.
Well harry, jump up with speed,
Tuck thy self up, let thee succeed,
Thy club, thou mayst quit at once,
Drive out thy sweat that will my dance.
Answer of the Fool.
O woe! I would rather carry wood,
And four times a day be beaten I should,
Of my master and his men,
Than to fight with this meager man.
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Death to the Mercer.
Welcome mercer thou penny friar
People cheater and street crier,
Thou must now go with me away
An other with your wares let play.
Answer of the Mercer.
Through the world I have been running,
And have taken various money
Many dollars and crowns I say,
O murder who will my debts nou pay.
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Death to the Blindman.
Thy leader now I cut thee off,
Take care o'er in this grave thou'll drop,
You poor, and old blind stock,
In thy bad and pached coat.
Answer of the Blindman.
A blindman is a poor man,
Who for his food no work do can
Ne're could I go without my hound,
God be praised, that my hour does sound.
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Death to the Jew.
Up, up! jew make thee on the road
For the Messiah thou tarryeth too long,
Christ whom you have murdered
Was the right, you have long erred.
Answer of the Jew.
A rabbi I was of the scripture
Drew of the bible but the poison,
I little did for Messiah care,
My mind for usure, and treasures were.
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Death to the Chinese
Death to the Chinese.
Here! Here! Thou complimenting fool
Thou chief exception of the rule,
With your idols cues and wives
With noble nails like hooked knives.
The Chinese
Answer of the Chinese.
Empire of Heaven, with its tea
O bless my soul wise Confucee
My opium, it is inspiring,
But brings me death by English firing.
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Death to the Cook.
Come here John cook, thou must now go,
Thou are so fat, thou canst not go,
Hast thou been cooking to this hour,
Much sweet meats, now they will be sour.
Answer of the Cook.
I have cook'd, chicken, geese and fish,
For my lords' table many a dish,
Marchpan, venison and pie
O woe my belly I must die.
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Death to the Clown.
Every day thou hadst labour great
Continually, soon and late,
Thy burthen, I take upon my word
Give me thy basquet flail and sword.
Answer of the Clown.
O terrible death my hat give me,
My labour no more troubles me
Which all my time of life I had
To drag me so, is very bad.
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Death to the Painter.
Hieronimus Hess! Let the painting alone,
Obscure is the way, which is to be gone.
Whether your heart with death has to fight,
follow th'eternity's hint to the light.
Answer of the Painter.
Friend! come forward! I fear not thy fright,
I look to your wanned face with delight,
After so many earthly pain
The heaven by your hand I gain.
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Death to the Innkeeper
Death to the Landlord.
Come here double face and deceitful host.
You courted the rich! thou wretched ghost!
The poor at every time you disdained.
Give me an account! Let me look what you fained?
The innkeeper
Answer of the Landlord.
Intervention war and dearth
Gave me profit on the earth.
Many a guest "over reached" went away.
I shut them the door with a grin very gay.
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Death to the cobbler
Death to the Shoemaker.
Come here old cobbler for the toe.
Be brief! my stirrup does it woe?
With sole and heel-piece it is done.
I call you! To the Guild we run.
The cobbler
Answer of the Shoemaker.
Stand still! I am no iron-plate
That so you show to me your hate.
Whilst living I was vexed enough.
Why wilt thou punish me so rough?
Dances of death
Basel
Hess
The text in English