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Home : As You Like It : Act 5, scene iii : page 222 Read the Study Guide: As You Like It
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As You Like It
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  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey-nonny-no,
  These pretty country folks would lie
  In springtime, the only pretty ring time,
25 When birds do sing, Hey ding a ding, ding.
  Sweet lovers love the spring.
  This carol they began that hour,
  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey hey-nonny-no,
  How that a life was but a flower
30 In springtime, the only pretty ring time,
  When birds do sing, Hey ding a ding, ding.
  Sweet lovers love the spring.
  And therefore take the present time,
  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey hey-nonny-no,
35 For love is crownèd with the prime
  In springtime, the only pretty ring time,
  When birds do sing, Hey ding a ding, ding.
  Sweet lovers love the spring.
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey-nonny-no
The pretty country folk would lie
In the springtime, the only proper wedding-time,
The time when birds sing, Hey ding-a-ding-ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.
They wrote this song at that time,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey-nonny-no,
About how life was as short-lived as a flower
In the springtime, the only proper wedding time,
The time when birds sing, hey ding-a-ding-ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.
So seize the present time,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey-nonny-no,
For love is all perfection
In the springtime, the only proper wedding time,
The time when birds sing, Hey ding-a-ding-ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.
 TOUCHSTONE
  Truly, young gentlemen, though there was no great matter
40 in the ditty, yet the note was very untunable.
TOUCHSTONE
Really, young men, though it wasn't a very hard song to get right, the music was still all out of tune.
 FIRST PAGE
  You are deceived, sir. We kept time. We lost not our time.
FIRST PAGE
No, sir, you're wrong; we kept the song's time, we didn't lose any.
 TOUCHSTONE
  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.
TOUCHSTONE
Oh, yes you did—I lost time listening to your foolish song. God be with you, and I hope He fixes your voices! Come on, Audrey.
Exeunt
They all exit.

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