A dolfull daunce and song of death
Intituled: the shakeing of the sheetes
Canne yea dance the shakinge of the sheetes,explanatory note 1
A daunce that everie mantextual note 1 most dooe?
Can yea trime it up with daintie sweetes,
And everie thinge thattextual note 2 longs there too?belongs
line5Make readie then your winding sheete,explanatory note 2
And see how yea canne besturre youre feete,
For Death is the man that all must meete.
Bringe away the beggar and the king,
And everie man in his degree;
line10Bring away bothtextual note 3 ould and yongest thinge;
Come all to Death and follow me —
The courtier with his loftie lookes,
The lawier with his learned bookes,lawyer
Andtextual note 4 the banker with his beating hookes.explanatory note 3textual note 5
line15Marchantes that make yourtextual note 6 mart in France,business (market)
In Italie, and all about,
Know you not that you and I must daunce,
With both our heelestextual note 7 wrapt in a clout?a [burial] cloth
What meane you to make your houses gay
line20And I must take the tenant away,
And digge for your sakes the clods of clay?(i.e., a grave)
Thinke ontextual note 8 the solempe syses last,solemn assizes
How sodenlie in Oxfordshireexplanatory note 4suddenly
I came and made the judges agast,textual note 9
line25And justices that did appear,
And tooke both Bell and Baram away,explanatory note 5
And manie a worthie man that day,
And all their bodies brought to clay.
Thinke youtextual note 10 I dare not come in scooles,textual note 11schools
line30Where all the cunninge clarkes be most?clerics
Take not I awaytextual note 12 both wise and fooles?
And am not I in everie coast?
Assure youreselves noe creature can
Make Death afraid of any man,
line35Or know my comminge where or when.
And you that are busie-headedtextual note 13 foolesbusy-headed (distracted)
To brawle for everietextual note 14 peltingeexplanatory note 6 straw,brawl worthless
Know yea not that I have readie tooles
To cut awaytextual note 15 youre craftie law?
line40And you that foolishlytextual note 16 buy and sell,
And thinke you make your market well,
Must daunce with Death wheresoever you dwell.
Where be they that make their leases stronge,
And joyne about them land to land?
line45Doe yea acounttextual note 17 to live soe longe,expect
To have all the worldtextual note 18 come to your hand?
Noe, foolish nowell, for all thy pencene’er-do-well money
This night thy soule must sure goe hencetextual note 19 —
Then whoe shall toile for thy defence?
line50And you that leane on your ladies lappes,
And lay your heades upon her knee,textual note 20
Doe you thinke to playtextual note 21 with bewties pappes,beauties’ breasts
And not to come and daunce with me?
Noe, faith,textual note 22 fair laddestextual note 23 and ladies all,
line55I’le make you come when I do call,
And find you a pipe to dance withall.
Pryd must have a prittie sheete, I see,Pride pretty
For properly he learnestextual note 24 to daunce,
Come away, my wanton wench to me
line60As gallantlie as your eye dothtextual note 25 glance;
And all good fellowes that swash and flashtextual note 26swagger
In reds and yellows of revell dash,revelry
I warrant you neede not be soe rash.
For I cane quicklie coole you all,
line65How hot or stout soever you be,
Both high and lowe, both great and small,
I nought doe feare your highe degree.
The ladietextual note 27 faire, the beldamtextual note 28 ould,old grandmother
The champion stout, the souldier bould,
line70Must all with me to erthie mould.soil
Take time therefore while it is lent,
Prepare youreselvestextual note 29 with me to daunce,
Forget mee not, your lives lament —
I come oft-times by soden chance.sudden
line75Be readie therefore, watch and pray
That when my minstrell pypes his playtextual note 30
Yea may to heaven daunce readie way.textual note 31