Full fathom five

General information

Author: William Shakespeare.. Second stanza of Ariel's song, from act 1 scene 2 of The Tempest. Also see the first stanza, "Come unto these yellow sands".

View the Wikipedia article on Full fathom five.

Notes on selected settings

Harrison Birtwistle Epilogue (baritone, horn, 4 trombones & 6 tamtams; 1972) John Ireland (SA & piano, 1908) Robert Johnson II Solo, SST, SATB Frank Martin (chorus, ©1968) Hubert Parry Solo

Kaija Saariaho (solo ©2004) Igor Stravinsky (solo ©1953) Ernest Walker (1923) Ralph Vaughan Williams (chorus, ©1953) at the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)

Settings by composers (automatically updated)

• John Banister — Full fathom five  English T
• Jon Corelis — Full fathom five  English Solo Tenor
• William Jackson of Exeter — Full fathom five  English SSATB
• Robert Johnson II — Full fathom five  English SSTSATBSolo highTTB
• Graham Patterson — Full Fathom Five  English SAATTBB
• Charles Wood — Full fathom five  English 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