The Dance

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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 brow
  Though there be light in her eyes.
  Lead her away and her grace requite,
  So goes the game on a winter's night.

© Paul Laurence Dunbar