The Young Man

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Basel's dance of death, The Young man  
 
Todt zum Jüngling:
Jüngling wo wilt du hin spacieren,
Ein andern Weg will ich dich führen,
Allda wirstu dein Bulschafft finden,
Das thu ich dir jetzund verkünden.		 Death to The Young Man
Young Man, where will you go?
I will lead you another way
There you will find your paramour.
This I announce to you now.
 
Der Jüngling:
MIt Schlemmen, Demmen und mit Prassen,
Deß Nachts hofieren auff der Gassen,
Darinn hatt ich mein Muth und Frewd,
Gedacht wenig an den Abschied.		 The Young Man.
With carousing, drinking and with feasting,
partying at night in the streets.
In this I had my joy and pleasure.
I though little of departure.
Basel: Young man
Fragment of the mural

At the museum in Basel there's still a fragment of the mural. (picture to the right).

Death promises the young man that he shall be (re)united with his paramour in the realm of death. Each of us can then imagine a story where the young man meets the young woman — even if the two dancers don't follow each other immediately in the dance.

The only problem is that in our oldest sources, Death says the exact opposite. In Der Todendantz he says, »Da wirst du dein Bulschafft nit finden«. The same is true for Ludwig Iselin(1) and the coloured gouaches from ca. 1600: »Da würstu dein Buolschafft nit finden«.

Footnotes: (1)

Iselin . . .: manuscript from 1577 by Ludwig Iselin; transcription by Mischa von Perger. The two lines go: Do wirstu din bulschafft nit findenn / Das dun ich dir ietzund uerkindenn.

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Basel's Dance of Death Dances of death Basel Young man