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Poetry · Poem

Under the Greenwood Tree

William ShakespeareEnglish RenaissancePoem
SOURCE TEXT · English original
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.

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.

IF it do come to pass
That any man turn ass,
Leaving his wealth and ease
A stubborn will to please,
Ducdamè, ducdamè, ducdamè:
Here shall he see
Gross fools as he,
An if he will come to me.
Cultural reading

Reading the poem

Two stanzas invite anyone who shuns ambition and is content with what he finds to join the singer in the forest, where the only enemy is rough weather, and a third stanza mockingly answers that whoever leaves wealth and ease for this is a fool.

Language notes

Text and edition

The heading repeats the poem's opening line rather than giving a separate title. The third stanza begins with the same capitalized opening used for a new piece, so the printed unit appears to gather a song together with a mocking reply and is treated here as an anthology extract.