Of snakes and men (Krysztof Daletski): Difference between revisions

From ChoralWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Line 52: Line 52:
And it ends with a shot, and a bite.
And it ends with a shot, and a bite.


Now you ask why (I|we) sing such a pitiful song
Now you ask why (I/we) sing such a pitiful song
With an end anyone can foresee:
With an end anyone can foresee:
Can't you see that exactly this happens right now
Can't you see that exactly this happens right now

Revision as of 19:26, 27 April 2018

Music files

L E G E N D Disclaimer How to download
ICON SOURCE
Icon_pdf.gif Pdf
MusicXML.png MusicXML
File details.gif File details
Question.gif Help
  • (Posted 2018-04-27)  CPDL #49449:   
Editor: Christoph Dalitz (submitted 2018-04-27).   Score information: A4, 2 pages, 60 kB   Copyright: CC BY SA
Edition notes: This edition is notated for mixed voices, but can be sung with equal voices or alternatively as a solo as well.

General Information

Title: Of snakes and men
Composer: Krysztof Daletski
Lyricist: Krysztof Daletski

Number of voices: 2vv   Voicing: ST

Genre: UnknownUnknown

Language: English
Instruments: Guitar

{{Published}} is obsolete (code commented out), replaced with {{Pub}} for works and {{PubDatePlace}} for publications.

Description: An allegorical ballad describing a deliberate escalation.

External websites: Recording on YouTube

Original text and translations

English.png English text

There's a snake on the ground burrowed into the sand
There's no prey and it hides in the shade
Despised for a forked tongue and having no legs,
But that is just the way snakes are made.

There's a crowd coming near of white men, strong and drunk,
They're the „crown of creation“ they say,
And believe that all evil is due to the snake,
Since paradise until today.

And the snake lifts its head and it flicks out its tongue:
The air smells of upcoming strife.
It trembles and knows that a quarrel with men
Is a fight it can hardly survive.

And the men are so strong, and they feel even stronger,
And are so full of pride and are so full of beer.
One of them spots the snake, and he takes up a stick;
While he swings it, the other men cheer.

And the snake lifts its rattle and shakes it aloud
In an effort to evade the strife.
It has venom, but knows that a quarrel with men
Is a fight it can hardly survive.

And the sound makes the man even more agitated
He yells: „Lo! This vicious beast threatens to fight!“
And he pulls out a gun, points it straight at the snake.
And it ends with a shot, and a bite.

Now you ask why (I/we) sing such a pitiful song
With an end anyone can foresee:
Can't you see that exactly this happens right now
Just in front of you and me?

How our leaders are so full of Western hubris,
Determined to make enemies,
How they bluster and scream, how they spit and go wild,
And there's no one who stands up for peace.

The established are silent, no voices of reason
In the corporate media press:
It is left to ourselves to get out of the crowd,
To dissent, and to stand up for peace.
It is time for ourselves to get out of the crowd,
To dissent, and to stand up for peace.