ANONYMOUS
Death.
Come on, good fellow, make an end
For you and I must talk.
You may no longer sojourn1 here,
But hence you must walk.
Youth.
What woeful2 words, alas3,
Be these that I do hear!
Alas, and shall I now forthwith4
Forsake5 my life so dear?
Death.
Come on, come on, and linger6 not;
Ye trifle7 but the time.
Ye make too much of that, ywis8,
Which is but dirt and slime.
Youth.
O cursed death, what dost9 thou mean,
So cruel for to be,
To him that never thought thee harm
Nor once offended thee!
O death, behold: I am but young
And of a pleasant age.
Take thou some old and crooked wight10,
And spare me in thy rage.
Behold, my limbs be lively now,
My mind and courage strong,
And by the verdict11 of all men
Like to continue long;
My beauty like the rose so red,
My hair like glist’ring12 gold;
And canst thou now pity then,
Transform me into mould?
O gentle death, be not extreme;
Thy13 mercy here I crave.
It is not for thine14 honour now
To fetch me to my grave.
But rather let me live a while,
Till youth consumed be.
When crooked age doth15 me oppress,
Then welcome death to me.
Death.
O foolish man, what dost thou mean
To strive against the stream?
Nothing there is that can thee now
Out of my hands redeem.
Thy time is past, thy days are gone,
Thy race16 is fully run.
Thou17 must of force now make an end,
As thou hadst18 once begun.
O fool, why dost thou beg and boast
Of these thy youthful days?-
Which passeth19 fast and fadeth20 swift
As flowers fresh decays.
Both youth and age to me be one-
I care not whom I strike:
The child, the man, the father old,
Do I reward alike.
The proudest of them all, ywis,
Can not escape my dart:
The lady fair, the lazar21 foul
Shall both possess a part.
Thou art22 not now the first, I say,
That I have eared up23;
Ne24 yet shalt25 be the last, pardie26,
That drinketh of my cup.
For he that doth us now behold-
Perusing this our talk-
He knoweth27 not yet how soon, God wot28,
With thee and me to walk!
Dispatch29, therefore, and make an end,
For needs you must obey;
And as thou camest30 into this world,
So shalt thou now away.
Youth.
And must I pass of this world
Indeed, and shall I so?
May no man me restrain31 a while,
But needs now must I go?
Why, then, farewell my life and lands,
Adieu32 my pleasures all!
Lo dreadful death doth us depart,
And me away doth call.
My cheerful days be worn away,
My pleasant time is past;
My youthful years are spent and gone,
My life it may not last.
And I (for lack of life and breath)
Whose like hath not been seen,
Shall straight consumed be to dust,
As I had never been.
But though I yield as now to thee,
When nothing can me save,
Yet I am sure that I shall live
When thou thy death shalt have.