Act II, Scene V: Another Part of the Forest

by William Shakespeare

　　[Enter AMIENS, JAQUES, and others.]

　　AMIENS[SONG]Under the greenwood tree, Who loves to lie with me, And turn his merry note Unto the sweet bird's throat, Come hither, come hither, come hither; Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather.JAQUESMore, more, I pr'ythee, more.

　　AMIENSIt will make you melancholy, Monsieur Jaques.

　　JAQUESI thank it. More, I pr'ythee, more. I can suck melancholy out of a song, as a weasel sucks eggs. More, I pr'ythee, more.

　　AMIENSMy voice is ragged; I know I cannot please you.

　　JAQUESI do not desire you to please me; I do desire you to sing. Come, more: another stanza. Call you them stanzas?

　　AMIENSWhat you will, Monsieur Jaques.

　　JAQUESNay, I care not for their names; they owe me nothing. Will you sing?

　　AMIENSMore at your request than to please myself.

　　JAQUESWell then, if ever I thank any man, I'll thank you: but that they call compliment is like the encounter of two dog-apes; and when a man thanks me heartily, methinks have given him a penny, and he renders me the beggarly thanks. Come, sing; and you that will not, hold your tongues.

　　AMIENSWell, I'll end the song.—Sirs, cover the while: the duke will drink under this tree:—he hath been all this day to look you.

　　JAQUESAnd I have been all this day to avoid him. He is too disputable for my company: I think of as many matters as he; but I give heaven thanks, and make no boast of them. Come, warble, come.[SONG. All together here.] Who doth ambition shun, And loves to live i' the sun, Seeking the food he eats, And pleas'd with what he gets, Come hither, come hither, come hither. Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather.JAQUESI'll give you a verse to this note that I made yesterday in despite of my invention.

　　AMIENSAnd I'll sing it.

　　JAQUESThus 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.AMIENSWhat'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.

　　AMIENSAnd I'll go seek the duke; his banquet is prepared.

　　[Exeunt severally.]