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Ophelia's Song

Set by Maude Valérie White (1855 - 1937), "Ophelia's Song", published 1882 [ voice and piano ], London: Boosey & Co. [Sung Text]

Note: this setting is made up of several separate texts.


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 


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]


White his shroud as the mountain snow,
Larded with sweet flow'rs;
Which bewept to the grave did go
With true-love show'rs.

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] 


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,  ... 
And we cast away moan:
God ha' mercy on his soul!
 ...

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]

Author(s): William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), Anonymous/Unidentified Artist