Swan Song

• This everyday phrase is derived from the ancient belief that a swan sang a beautiful song just before it died.
• It was used in works by Aristotle and Plato and also in Aesop's Fables, the ‘Swan and the Goose’.

Aesop’s Fable: The Swan and the Goose

• A swan was mistaken for a goose when it got caught in a net during the night.
• Thinking it was going to die, the swan sang its last beautiful song, whereupon the hunter set it free after recognising its song and realising it couldn’t be a goose.

Back to Everyday Expressions that come from Aesop