C.D. Warner, et al., comp. The Library of the World’s Best Literature.
An Anthology in Thirty Volumes. 1917.

Songs and Their Settings: Under the Greenwood Tree

AMIENS—Under the greenwood tree,

Who loves to lie with me,

And tune his merry note

Unto the sweet bird’s throat,—

Come hither, come hither, come hither:

Here shall we see no enemy

But winter and rough weather.

All together—Who doth ambition shun,

And loves to live i’ the sun,

Seeking the food he eats,

And pleased with what he gets,—

Come hither, come hither, come hither:

Here shall he see no enemy

But winter and rough weather.

Jaques—I’ll give you a verse to this note, that I made yesterday in despite of my invention.

Amiens—And I’ll sing it.

Jaques—Thus it goes:—

If it do come to pass,

That any man turn ass,

Leaving his wealth and ease,

A stubborn will to please,

Ducdame, ducdame, ducdame:

Here shall he see gross fools as he,

An if he will come to me.

Amiens—What’s that ducdame?

Jaques—’Tis a Greek invocation to call fools into a circle. I’ll go sleep if I can; if I cannot, I’ll rail against all the first-born of Egypt.