Copenhagen's Dance of Death, Part 24, Official and Hermit

Copenhagen's Dance of Death, Part 24

Døden vil mig det nu gælde
hand vil mig skilie ved mit vælde

Døden Suarer

Dette skulle du førre tencht
Før saadan sorg haffde bleffuit dig skenct

Døden taler til Kluseneren
eller Eremiten.

Kiere broder Conrad, Skoufogit min,
Gaar du nu her oc vocter Suin.
Huad giør du her i denne Skou,
Du maatte saa gierne gaa hoss en Plou.
Est du ey karsk, oc sterck, oc før,
Hui gaar du her oc intet giør.
Guds Ord skulde du tencke paa,
Aff dem kunde du ret Forstand faa.
Huad Leffnit du skulde leffue vdi,
Det læris dig i Guds Budord ti.
Jeg vil icke lenger met dig snacke,
Aff denne Verden skalt du dig packe.

Kluseneren suarer.

Eya, eya huad hører jeg nu,
Huor vnderlig er jeg i min hu.
Jeg haffuer hafft it roligt Liff,
Foruden arbeyde, Børn oc Viff.
Thi vilde jeg nu i denne Udørck,
Giøre mig fri fra Helffuedis Mørck.
Nu vil Døden haffue mig aff dage,
O Gud fri mig fra Helffuedis plage.

Døden suarer.

Death will make me pay for it now.
He will separate me from my power.

Death Answers

You should have thought of this earlier
before such sorrow was given to you.

Death speaks to the Recluse
or Hermit.

Dear Brother Conrad, my forest ranger.
Are you going around here now and herding swine?
What are you doing here in this forest?
You might as well walk with a plough.
Are you not healthy and strong and fit?
Why are you going around here - doing nothing?
You should think of God's word
They would be most instructive to you
about what life you should live.
You are taught so in God's ten commands.
I will no longer speak with you,
you shall pack up [and clear out] of this world.

The Recluse answers.

Eya, eya,(1) what am I hearing now?
How wondrous I feel.
I have had a quiet life
without work, children and wife,
because in this wilderness I wanted
to make myself free of Hell's darkness.
Now Death wants to kill me.
Oh God, save me from the torments of Hell.

Death answers.

There's a leaf missing in Copenhagen's Dance of Death, so the red letters are taken from Dødedantz.

Click the little picture to the left to see the original page. Notice the little Jesus-figure at the top of the Hermit's staff (enlarged on the picture to the right).

Footnotes: (1)

Eya . . .: Exclamation of surprise.