As You Like It

by William Shakespeare

Act V, Scene III: Another Part of the Forest

[Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY.]

TOUCHSTONE To-morrow is the joyful day, Audrey; to-morrow will we be married.

AUDREY 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.]

FIRST PAGE Well met, honest gentleman.

TOUCHSTONE By my troth, well met. Come sit, sit, and a song.

SECOND 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?

SECOND PAGE I'faith, i'faith; and both in a tune, like two gipsies on a horse.

SONG

                             I.
    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.

                            II.
    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, the only pretty ring time,
        When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding:
    Sweet lovers love the spring.

                           III.
    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, the only pretty ring time,
        When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding:
    Sweet lovers love the spring.

                           IV.
    And therefore take the present time,
        With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
    For love is crownèd with the prime,
        In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
        When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding:
    Sweet lovers love the spring.

TOUCHSTONE Truly, young gentlemen, though there was no great matter in the ditty, yet the note was very untimeable.

FIRST PAGE You are deceived, sir; we kept time, we lost not our time.

TOUCHSTONE By my troth, yes; I count it but time lost to hear such a foolish song. God be with you; and God mend your voices! Come, Audrey.

[Exeunt.]