by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Ding Dong
Language: English
Whilst we sing the doleful knell Of this princess' passing-bell, Let the woods and valleys ring Echoes to our sorrowing; And the tenor of their song Be ding dong, ding dong, dong, Ding dong, dong, Ding dong. Nature now shall boast no more Of the riches of her store, Since in this her chiefest prize, All the stock of beauty dies; Then, what cruel heart can long For-bear to sing this sad ding dong? This sad ding dong, Ding dong. Fauns and sylvans of the woods, Nymphs that haunt the crystal floods, Savage beasts more milder then The unrelenting hearts of men, Be partakers of our moan, And with us sing ding dong, ding dong, Ding dong, dong, Ding dong.
Text Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author ( 17th century )  [author's text not yet checked 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 David Arditti (b. 1964), "Ding Dong" [chorus], from Two Anonymous 17th Century Lyrics, no. 1. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: David Arditti
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 120