As You Like It

by William Shakespeare

Act V, Scene III

The forest.

Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY

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

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 comes two of the banished duke's pages.

Enter two Pages

Well met, honest gentleman.

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

We are for you: sit i' the middle.

Shall we clap into't roundly, without hawking or
spitting or saying we are hoarse, which are the only
prologues to a bad voice?

I'faith, i'faith; and both in a tune, like two
gipsies on a horse.
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 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 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 spring time, &c.

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

You are deceived, sir: we kept time, we lost not our time.

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

Next Scene

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