Farewell Service

Hymns, readings and a printed program for a Christian funeral

Fear No More the Heat o’ the Sun

by William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

Reads in about 1 minute24 linesNon-religious

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Fear no more the heat o' th' sun,
Nor the furious winter's rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone and ta'en thy wages:
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.

Fear no more the frown o' th' great;
Thou art past the tyrant's stroke;
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak:
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this and come to dust.

Fear no more the lightning-flash,
Nor th' all-dreaded thunder-stone;
Fear not slander, censure rash;
Thou hast finished joy and moan:
All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee and come to dust.

No exorciser harm thee!
Nor no witchcraft charm thee!
Ghost unlaid forbear thee!
Nothing ill come near thee!
Quiet consummation have;
And renowned be thy grave!

About this text

Poet
William Shakespeare, 1564–1616
Printing used
Shakespeare’s Songs, ed. A. H. Bullen (1907); from Cymbeline (1623)
First published
1623
Public domain
This printing 1907, before 1931
Often chosen
for a man, for a woman, non-religious