"Back Elk is sick and may be dying,"
Said the old man to his wife
"Even now the Holy Man is. singing
Mat Wakan-Tanka spare his life."
Black Elk was trance-like in a death sleep
Dreaming of two men with flaming spears
Left him alone and disappeared
Then a bay horse stood before him
Said, "Now my life history you shall see

See how all the horses come dancing
Come dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing, wild and free
Dancing, dancing, dancing, wild and free."
Twelve black horses with manes of lightning in the night
Twelve white horses with white geese circling, thundering past
Twelve sorrel horses with eyes like stars and manes of light
Twelve buckskins with horns on their heads and manes of grass
Then the horses formed a line of four abreast
Bay horse turned his head West and he neighed
Sky was like a storm of thundering houses
And Little Black Elk was afraid

And then the horses changed into all creatures
Into every from of life that there could be

See how all the horses come dancing
Come dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing, wild and free
Dancing, dancing, dancing, wild and free