The ant and the grasshopper, everyone knows how the story goes
How the ant was diligent, never spent
Anything lightly, laboured wisely
And gathered his store for tomorrow
As for the grasshopper, clad in the summer sunshine
Light as the wind on the broken water
His song he gave to the summer days
Singing Where the dance leads I'll follow
Then came a hard winter, nothing grew, and the cold wind blew
But the ant was safe and sound, underground
Carefully counting his pile around him
Dividing his time until tomorrow
Now see the grasshopper, blown by the north wind's fury
Hungering for the easy summer
Comes to the ant and says, My brother, give me bread
Now's the dance that I must follow
Why did you waste the summer, summers don't last forever
You're just an idle beggar, you must pay the price, sacrifice
You wouldn't heed me, you took life easy
Take the punishment that follows
Now see the grasshopper reel like a dry leaf falling
Weaving a dance that will last forever
Back goes the ant to his nest to work, to feed, to rest
For him there will always be tomorrow
The ant and the grasshopper, everyone knows how the story goes
How the ant was diligent, never spent
Anything lightly, laboured wisely
And gathered his store for tomorrow
As for the grasshopper, clad in the summer sunshine
Light as the wind on the broken water
His song he gave to the summer days
Singing Where the dance leads I'll follow