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by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

This is a very scurvy tune to sing
 (Sung text for setting by J. Hall)
 See original
Language: English 
Stephano              
 ... 
This is a very scurvy tune to sing at a man's
funeral: well, here's my comfort.

(Drinks)

(Sings)

 The master, the swabber,  the boatswain, and I,
 The gunner and his mate
 Loved Mall, Meg, and Marian, and Margery,
 But none of us cared for Kate;
 For she had a tongue with a tang,
 Would cry to a sailor, 'Go hang!'
 She loved not the savour of tar nor of pitch,
 Yet a tailor might scratch her where'er she did itch:
 Then to sea, boys, and let her go hang!
 This is a scurvy tune too: but here's my comfort.

Composition:

    Set to music by Juliana Hall (b. 1958), "This is a very scurvy tune to sing", 2015, first performed 2016 [ counter-tenor and piano ], from O Mistress Mine -- 12 Songs for countertenor and piano on texts from plays by William Shakespeare, no. 10

Text Authorship:

  • by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in The Tempest, Act II, Scene 2

See other settings of this text.

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

  • FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo)
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Andrea Maffei) , no title, first published 1869


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-05-11
Line count: 17
Word count: 121

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