Οι στίχοι του παραδοσιακού ‘Dives And Lazarus’ (από την ανθολογία του Francis James Child – δευτερο μισό του 19ου αι.) βασίζονται στην παραβολή του πλουσίου και του Λαζάρου από το ευαγγέλιο του Λουκά. Το ακούμε από τον Άγγλο folk singer – songwriter Martin Simpson. Και στη συνέχεια (5:27) οι ‘Five Variants Of Dives And Lazarus’, έργο του Ralph Vaughan Williams για άρπα και ορχήστρα, βασισμένο στο θέμα του τραγουδιού.

The lyrics of traditional ‘Dives And Lazarus’ (from the anthology of Francis James Child – second half of the 19th century) are based on the parable of Rich Man and Lazarus from the Gospel of Luke. We hear it from the English folk singer – songwriter Martin Simpson.
And then (5:27) Ralph Vaughan Williams’ ‘Five Variants Of Dives And Lazarus’, for harp and orchestra, based on the song’s theme.

As it fell out upon one day,
Rich Divès made a feast,
And he invited all his friends,
And gentry of the best.
Then Lazarus laid him down and down
And down by Divès’ door:
“Some meat. some drink, brother, Diverus,
Bestow upon the poor.”
“Thou’rt none of my brothers, Lazarus,
That liest begging at my door;
No meat, nor drink shall I give thee,
Nor bestow upon the poor.”
Then Lazarus laid him down and down,
And down by Divès’ wall:
“Some meat, some drink, brother Diverus,
For hunger starve I shall.”
“Thou’rt none of my brothers, Lazarus,
That liest begging at my wall;
No meat, no drink will I give thee,
But hunger starve you shall.
Then Lazarus laid him down and down,
And down by Divès’ gate:
“Some meat, some drink, brother Diverus,
For Jesus Christ His sake.”
“Thou’rt none of my brothers, Lazarus,
That liest begging at my gate;
No meat, no drink shall I give thee,
For Jesus Christ His sake.”
Then Divès sent out his hungry dogs,
To bite him as he lay;
They hadn’t the power to bite one bite,
But licked his sores away.
Then Divès sent to his highest men,
To worry poor Lazarus away;
They’d not the power to strike one stroke,
But flung their whips away.
As it fell out upon one day,
Poor Lazarus sickened and died;
There came two angels out of heaven,
His soul therein to guide.
“Rise up! rise up! brother Lazarus,
And go along with me;
For you’ve a place prepared in heaven,
To sit on an angel’s knee.”
As it fell out upon one day,
Rich Divès sickened and died;
There came two serpents out of hell,
His soul therein to guide.
“Rise up! rise up! brother Diverus,
And come along with me;
There is a place provided in hell
For wicked men like thee.”
Then Divès looked up with his eyes
And saw poor Lazarus blest;
“Give me one drop of water, brother Lazarus,
To quench my flaming thirst.”