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by William D'Avenant, Sir (1606 - 1668)

Wake all the dead
Language: English 
Wake all the dead ! what ho ! what ho ! 
How soundly sleep they whose pillows lie low ! 
They mind not poor lovers who walk above 
On the decks of the world in storms of love. 
No whisper now nor glance shall pass 
Through wickets or through panes of glass ; 
For our windows and doors are shut and barred. 
Lie close in the church, and in the churchyard. 
In every grave make room, make room ! 
The world's at an end, and we come, we come. 

The state is now love's foe, love's foe ; 
'T has seized on his arms, his quiver and bow ; 
Has pinioned his wings, and fettered his feet, 
Because he made way for lovers to meet. 
But, O sad chance, his judge was old ; 
Hearts cruel grow, when blood grows cold. 
No man being young his process would draw. 
O heavens, that love should be subject to law!
Lovers go woo the dead, the dead !
Lie two in a grave, and to bed, to bed ! 

Text Authorship:

  • by William D'Avenant, Sir (1606 - 1668) [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 Gordon Crosse (b. 1937), "Wake all the dead", op. 17 no. 9 (1966), published 1967, first performed 1966 [soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, and orchestra], from Changes - A Nocturnal Cycle, no. 9, London : Oxford University Press [
     text not verified 
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2011-01-05
Line count: 20
Word count: 167

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