Adieu, farewell, earth's bliss!
This world uncertain is:
Fond are life's lustful joys,
Death proves them all but toys.
None from his darts can fly;
I am sick, I must die—
Lord, have mercy on us.

Rich men, trust not in wealth,
Gold cannot buy you health;
Physic himself must fade;
All things to end are made;
The plague full swift goes by;
I am sick, I must die—
Lord, have mercy on us.

Beauty is but a flower
Which wrinkles will devour;
Brightness falls from the hair;
Queens have died young and fair;
Dust hath closed Helen's eye;
I am sick, I must die—
Lord, have mercy on us.

Strength stoops unto the grave,
Worms feed on Hector brave;
Swords may not fight with fate;
Earth still holds ope her gate;
Come, come! the bells do cry—
I am sick, I must die—
Lord, have mercy on us.

Wit with his wantonness
Tasteth death's bitterness;
Hell's executioner
Hath no ears for to hear
What vain art can reply;
I am sick, I must die—
Lord, have mercy on us.

Haste, therefore, each degree
To welcome destiny;
Heaven is our heritage;
Earth but a player's stage;
Mount we unto the sky;
I am sick, I must die—
Lord, have mercy on us.

Why should I let the toad work
Squat on my life?
Can't I use my wit as a pitchfork 
And drive the brute off?

Six days of the week it soils 
With its sickening poison —
Just for paying a few bills!
That's out of proportion.

Lots of folk live on their wits;
Lecturers, lispers,
Losels, loblolly-men, louts — 
They don't end as paupers,

Lots of folk live up lanes 
With fires in a bucket,
Eat windfalls and tinned sardines —
They seem to like it

Their nippers have got bare feet,
Their unspeakable wives
Are skinny as whippets — and yet 
No one actually starves.

Ah, were I courageous enough 
To shout Stuff your pension!
But I know, all too well, that's the stuff 
That dreams are made on

For something sufficiently toad-like 
Squats in me, too,
Its hunkers are heavy as hard luck,
And cold as snow,

And will never allow me to blarney 
My way to getting
The fame and the girl and the money 
All at one sitting.

I don't say, one bodies the other 
One's spiritual truth;
But I do say it's hard to lose either, 
When you have both.