The Dance
Heel and toe, heel and toe,That is the song we sing;Turn to your partner and curtsey low,Balance and forward and swing.Corners are draughty and meadows are white,This is the game for a winter’s night.
Hands around, hands around,Trip it, and not too slow;Clear is the fiddle and sweet its sound,Keep the girls’ cheeks aglow.Still let your movements be dainty and light,This is the game for a winter’s night.
Back to back, back to back,Turn to your place again;Never let lightness nor nimbleness lack,Either in maidens or men.Time hasteth ever, beware of its flight,Oh, what a game for a winter’s night!
Slower now, slower now,Softer the music sighs;Look, there are beads on your partner’s browThough there be light in her eyes.Lead her away and her grace requite,So goes the game on a winter’s night.