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by Thomas Love Peacock (1785 - 1866)

The ghosts
Language: English 
In life three ghostly friars were we,
And now three friarly ghosts we be.
Around our shadowy table placed,
The spectral bowl before us floats:
With wine that none but ghosts can taste,
We wash our unsubstantial throats.
Three merry ghosts -- Three merry ghosts -- 
Three merry ghosts are we:
Let the ocean be Port, and we'll think it good sport
To be laid in that Red Sea.

With songs that jovial spectres chaunt,
Our old refectory still we haunt.
The traveller hears our midnight mirth:
'O list!' he cries, 'the haunted choir!
'The merriest ghost that walk the earth,
'Is sure the ghost of a ghostly friar.'
Three merry ghosts -- Three merry ghosts -- 
Three merry ghosts are we:
Let the ocean be Port, and we'll think it good sport
To be laid in that Red Sea.

Text Authorship:

  • by Thomas Love Peacock (1785 - 1866) [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 Evan Thomas (b. 1958), "The ghosts", published 2004, first performed 2004 [SATB chorus, piano, and incidental percussion], from Earthly Delights, no. 1. [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2011-09-17
Line count: 20
Word count: 136

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