Full fathom five

General information

Lyricist: William Shakespeare . Second stanza of Ariel's song, from act 1 scene 2 of The Tempest.

The first stanza, "Come unto these yellow sands", is set by Amy Beach and by John Banister.

View the Wikipedia article on Full fathom five.

Settings by composers

• John Banister T solo
• Harrison Birtwistle Epilogue (baritone, horn, 4 trombones & 6 tamtams; 1972)
• Jon Corelis T solo
• John Ireland (SA & piano, 1908)
• Robert Johnson II Solo, SST, SATB
• Frank Martin (chorus, ©1968)
• Hubert Parry (solo, op. 21 no. 5 1873)
• Kaija Saariaho (solo ©2004)
• Igor Stravinsky (solo ©1953)
• Ralph Vaughan Williams (chorus, ©1953) at the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)
• Charles Wood SATB

Text and translations

English text Full fathom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes; Nothing of him that does fade, But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange. Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell: Ding-dong, Hark! Now I hear them – Ding-dong, bell.

German translation Fünf Faden tief dein Vater liegt, sein Gebein ward zu Korallen, zu Perlen seine Augen-Ballen, und vom Moder unbesiegt, wandelt durch der Nymphen Macht sich jeder Teil von ihm und glänzt in fremder Pracht. Die Nymphen lassen ihm zu Ehren von Stund zu Stund die Totenglocke hören. Horch auf, ich höre sie, ding-dang.

External links

• Translations and composer list at Lieder.net