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Todt zum Blinden: DEin Wegzeiger schneid ich dir ab, Tritt sittlich fallst mir sonst ins Grab, Du armer blinder alter Stock, In deinem bösen bletzten Rock. |
Death to The Blind Man I cut you off from your guide. Tread carefully or you'll fall into the grave. You poor, blind, old geezer in your miserable patched coat. |
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Der blind Mann: EIn blinder Mann ein armer Mann, Sein Muß und Brodt nicht g'winnen kan, Köndt nicht ein Tritt gehn ohn mein Hund: GOtt sey g'lobt, daß hie ist die Stund. |
The Blind Man. A blind man; a poor man, cannot win his mush and bread. I cannot walk a step without my dog. God be praised, that the hour is here. |
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| Klein-Basel, Blind man. Line drawing after Büchel |
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| Holbein's dance of death, The old man. |
If we compare the blind man with the corresponding picture in Klein-Basel (to the left), the scene was originally far less dynamic: Death simply fetches the blind man like he does with all the other participants.
The change was probably introduced by Hans Kluber, when he renovated the mural in 1568. Kluber has presumably taken a peek at Holbein's dance of death, where Death is luring the old man down into the open grave (picture to the right). See also the initial W.
Dances of death
Basel
Blind man