William Shakespeare (1564–1616). The Oxford Shakespeare. 1914. As You Like It Act V. Scene III.
Another Part of the Forest.
Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY.
Touch. To-morrow is the joyful day, Audrey; to-morrow will we be married. Aud. I do desire it with all my heart, and I hope it is no dishonest desire to desire to be a woman of the world. Here come two of the banished duke’s pages. Enter two Pages.
5 First Page. Well met, honest gentleman. Touch. By my troth, well met. Come, sit, sit, and a song. Sec. Page. We are for you: sit i’ the middle. First Page. Shall we clap into ’t roundly, without hawking or spitting, or saying we are hoarse, which are the only prologues to a bad voice? Sec. Page. I’ faith, i’ faith; and both in a tune, like two gipsies on a horse. 10 SONG
It was a lover and his lass, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, That o’er the green corn-field did pass, In the spring time, the only pretty ring time, When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding; Sweet lovers love the spring. Between the acres of the rye, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, These pretty country folks would lie, In the spring time, &c. This carol they began that hour, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, How that a life was but a flower In the spring time, &c. And therefore take the present time, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino; For love is crowned with the prime In the spring time, &c.
Touch. Truly, young gentlemen, though there was no great matter in the ditty, yet the note was very untuneable. First Page. You are deceived, sir: we kept time; we lost not our time. Touch. By my troth, yes; I count it but time lost to hear such a foolish song. God be wi’ you; and God mend your voices! Come, Audrey. [Exeunt.
