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Heidelberg's dance of death, Canon  
 

Death to the Canon(1)

Her korpfaffe habit ir gesungen vor
Suszen gesang yn ewrem kor
So merkt off meyner pfeyfen schal
Die vorkundit euch des todis val		 Mr. Canon,(1) have you lead the singing;
sweetly sung in your choir
then notice my fife's clang.
It proclaims to you the event of death.
 
Ich habe als eyn korhirre frey
Gesungen manche lipliche Melodey
Des todis pfeyfe stet deme nicht gleich
Sy hat zo zere dirschreckit mich		 I have as a free canon
sung many lovely melodies.
Death's fife is not like it;
it has terrified me so much.

Footnotes: (1)

Canon...: a priest attached to a cathedral. The canons are so called because they lead a rule bound life, "vita canonica".

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