Füssen, The maid

The maid
Hiebeler, Maid

Death to the maid

    der todt
O Junckfraw schaw dein rotter mundt
Wiertt blaich ietzundt zu diser stundt.
Hast offt getantzt mitt Jungen knaben,
Mitt mir muest ietz ein vortantz haben.

    Death.
Oh maiden see, your red mouth
turns pale now at this hour.
You have often danced with young boys,
You must now have an opening dance(1) with me.

The maid

    die Junckfraw.
O weh wie grewlich hast mich gfang,
Mir ist all muett vnd freud vergang
Hab eben gsintt nach einem man,
Ach vor der Zeit mueß ich ietz dran.

    the Maid.
Oh woe, how terribly you have caught me.
All spirits and pleasure have left me.
I was just thinking about a man,
Alas, ahead of time I have to go now.

Basel: Maiden
Merian, Young woman

Death creeping up behind the young woman is a copy of the scene in Basel (pictured left). The same applies to Death's speech and the first two lines of the maiden.

At this point, Basel has some parallels with the dance in Bern (and thus also with Füssen):

Bern: Death to the maid

Tochter jetz ist schon hie die Stund,
Bleich wird werden dein roter Mund:
[…]

Daughter, the hour is already here now,
Your red mouth will turn pale:
[…]

Footnotes: (1)

Opening dance. . .: A "Vortantz" is a dance at the beginning by the first (leading) couple, who open the dance.

Logically this honour belongs, not to the young woman, but to the first dancer in the procession. That's why Death has already promised this dance to the pope: »Ich mueß mit euch den vortanz hon«.