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.
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Authorship
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Hamlet, Act V, Scene 1  [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- 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) [ sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist FRE ; composed by Wilhelm Petersen.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist [an adaptation] FRE ; composed by Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Karl Georg Mantey FRE ; composed by Wolfgang Fortner.
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Other 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
Dans ma jeunesse, quand j’aimais, quand j’aimais, Il me semblait qu’il était bien doux, Oh ! bien doux d’abréger le temps : ah ! pour mon usage Il me semblait, oh ! que rien n’était trop bon Mais l’âge, venu à pas furtifs, M’a empoigné dans sa griffe, Et embarqué sous terre, En dépit de mes goûts. Une pioche et une bêche, une bêche ! Et un linceul pour drap, Puis, hélas ! un trou à faire dans la boue, C’est tout ce qu’il faut pour un tel hôte !
About the headline (FAQ)
Translatin of title "The grave-digger" would be "Le fossoyeur"Authorship
- by François-Victor Hugo (1828 - 1873), no title [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
- a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Hamlet, Act V, Scene 1
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this text: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2016-01-11
Line count: 12
Word count: 90