Ophelia Songs

Song Cycle by Stanley Grill (b. 1953)

1. How should I your true love know
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
How should I your true love know
From another one?
By his cockle hat and staff,
And his sandal shoon.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, appears in Hamlet [an adaptation]
  • sometimes misattributed to William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

Based on:

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Note: this is often referred to as the Walsingham Ballad, and is quoted in Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5. Ophelia is singing.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti's poem An old song ended refers to this song.

Quoted in Rhian Samuel's The Gaze.

Researcher for this page: Ted Perry

2. He is dead and gone
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
He is dead and gone, lady,
He is dead and gone;
At his head a grass green turf,
At his heels a stone.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
  • sometimes misattributed to William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

These words are sung by Ophelia in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5, but they are probably not by Shakespeare.

Quoted in Rhian Samuel's The Gaze.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

3. White his shroud
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
White his shroud as the mountain snow,
Larded with sweet flowers;
Which bewept to the ground did not go
With true-love showers.

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

These words are sung by Ophelia in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5, but they are probably not by Shakespeare.

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

4. Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's day
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
  To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
  All in the morning betime,
  And I a maid at your window,
  To be your Valentine.
  Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
  And dupp'd the chamber-door;
  Let in the maid, that out a maid
  Never departed more.

 ... 
  By Gis and by Saint Charity,
  Alack, and fie for shame!
  Young men will do't, if they come to't;
  By cock, they are to blame.
  Quoth she, before you tumbled me,
  You promised me to wed.

  So would I ha' done, by yonder sun,
  An thou hadst not come to my bed.

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

These words are sung by Ophelia in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5, but they are probably not by Shakespeare.

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

5. The bore him bare faced on the bier
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
They bore him barefaced on the bier;
Hey non nonny, nonny, hey nonny;
And in his grave rain'd many a tear:--
Fare you well, my dove!

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, no title, appears in Hamlet
  • sometimes misattributed to William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

These words are sung by Ophelia in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5, but they are probably not by Shakespeare.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

6. And will he not come again
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
And will he not come again?
And will he not come again?
No, no, he is dead:
Go to thy death-bed:
He never will come again.
His beard was as white as snow,
All flaxen was his poll:
He is gone, he is gone,
And we cast away moan:
God ha' mercy on his soul!
And on the souls of all good Christians, I pray God. God be with you.

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

These words are sung by Ophelia in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5, but they are probably not by Shakespeare.

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]
Total word count: 260