Of snakes and men (Krysztof Daletski)
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- 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: Unknown, Unknown
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{{Published}} is obsolete (code commented out), replaced with {{Pub}} for works and {{PubDatePlace}} for publications.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 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