Traditional Hungarian

 

"Play, you gypsies, till noon !

From noon till evening play !

From evening until dawn

Till we greet the smiling morn. "

"Let me go, let me be,

Or surely I must die !

This silken skirt so fine

Doth to my body cling. "

"What care I, shouldst thou die,

Or from this world thou goest?

If mine thou canst not be,

No other shall have thee.

       Play, you gypsies, till noon !

       From noon till evening, play !

       From evening until dawn

       Till we greet the smilling morn. "

       "Let me go, let me be,

       Or surely I must die

       A score of golden rings

       On my swollen fingers press. "

       "What care I, shouldst thou die,

      Or from this world thou goest

      If mine thou canst not be,

      No other shall have thee. "

      "Let me go, let me be,

      Or surely I must die

      For in my crimson boots

      The blood hath now congealed. "

      " What care I, shouldst thou die,

      Or from this world thou goest?

      If mine thou canst not be,

      No other shall have thee.

     Play, you gypsies, till noon !

     From noon till evening, play !

     From evening until dawn

     Till on her bier she's borne. "

    "Oh coachman, bring the coach

    And swiftly homeword drive

    Mother, open thou the door,

    The double lattice door. "

   On arriving home she goes straight to bed, but never recovers from the strain of her non-stop dance, so that hersweetheart only sees her again when she is lying on her bier.

     Cursed is the father

     The mother, twice cursed is she

     Who let their only daughter

     Go forth so easily.

     They let her go at even,

     They sought her not dawn,

     And only on the third day

     Homeword, dying, she found her way.

 

Anonymous