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by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

The gravedigger
 (Sung text for setting by W. Fortner)
 Matches original text
Language: English 
In youth, when I did love, did love,
Methought it was very sweet,
To contract, O, the time, for, ah, my behove,
O, methought, there was nothing meet.

But age, with his stealing steps,
Hath claw'd me in his clutch,
And hath shipped me intil the land,
As if I had never been such.

A pick-axe, and a spade, a spade,
For and a shrouding sheet:
O, a pit of clay for to be made
For such a guest is meet.

Composition:

    Set to music by Wolfgang Fortner (1907 - 1987), "The gravedigger", 1946, published 1947 [ voice and piano ], from Songs nach Texten von William Shakespeare mit Klavierbegleitung , no. 11, Mainz : Schott, also set in German (Deutsch)

Text Authorship:

  • by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Hamlet, Act V, Scene 1

See other settings of this text.

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

  • FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , no title


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-10-21
Line count: 12
Word count: 81

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