Fear no more the heat o' th' sun
Nor the furious winter's rages;
Though 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 no 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.
The meaning of some words is quite obscure. You can find a nice explanation here.
http://www.olimu.com/readings/FearNoMore.htm
Cymbeline
Loreena McKennitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nor the furious winters' 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.
The scepter, learning, physic, must
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 scepter, learning, physic, must
All follow this and come to dust.
All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee 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.
The lyrics to Loreena McKennitt's song Cymbeline are an interpretation of Shakespeare's poem Fear No More. The song explores the transitory nature of life and the inevitability of death. The opening lines of the song "Fear no more the heat o' the sun, Nor the furious winter's rages" suggests that the singer is speaking to someone who has passed away and who is already at peace. The line "Thou thy worldly task hast done, Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages" indicates that the person has completed their duties on earth and is now at rest.
The song goes on to say that no matter how powerful or important you are in life, everyone must eventually succumb to death. The line "Golden lads and girls all must, As chimney-sweepers, come to dust" implies that even the rich and powerful, represented by the golden lads and girls, will eventually be reduced to nothing more than dust, much like the lowly chimney-sweepers. Despite the finality of death, the song encourages listeners to not fear it or anything else in life, as it is simply a natural part of the cycle of existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Fear no more the heat o' the sun
Do not fear the scorching heat of the sun anymore
Nor the furious winters' rages;
Do not fear the angry outbursts of winter anymore
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
You have completed your tasks in this world
Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages
You have left for home to receive your earned reward
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.
Everyone, regardless of wealth and status, will eventually meet the same fate and turn to dust
The scepter, learning, physic, must
All follow this and come to dust.
Even power, knowledge, and medicine are not immune to the fleeting nature of life and will eventually crumble to dust
Fear no more the frown o' th' great;
Thou art past the tyrant's stroke
Do not fear the disapproval of powerful people; You have surpassed their grasp and control
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak.
You no longer need to worry about material possessions and luxuries; To you, a humble reed and a grand oak tree hold the same value
All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee and come to dust.
All young lovers will eventually meet their end and turn to dust, just like you
Fear no more the lightning flash,
Nor th' all-dreaded thunder-stone;
Do not fear the sudden and destructive forces of nature
Fear not slander, censure rash;
Thou hast finished joy and moan.
Do not worry about false accusations or harsh criticism; You have completed both the happy and sad moments in life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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