Песня в ранних вариантах известна с начала XIV века, данный же текст относится к 1440 годам:
Erthe out of erthe is wonderly wroghte Erthe hase geten one erthe a dignite of noghte Erthe upon erthe hase sett alle his thoghte How that erthe upon erthe may be heghe broghte
Erthe upon erthe wolde be a kinge Bot how erthe to erthe shall thinkes he no thinge When erthe bredes erthe and his rentes home bringe Thane shall erthe of erthe have full harde parting
Memento, homo, quad cinis es Et in cenerem reverentis
Erthe upon erthe winnes castells and towrres Thane sayse erthe unto erthe, "This es al ourres" When erthe upon erthe has bigged up his barres Thane shall erthe for erthe suffere sharpe scowrres
Memento, homo, quad cinis es Et in cenerem reverentis
Erthe goes upon erthe as molde upon molde He that gose upon erthe, gleterande as golde Like erthe never more go to erthe sholde And yitt shall erthe unto erthe ga rathere than he wolde
Whye erthe lurves erthe, wondere me thinke Or why erthe for erthe sholde other swete or swinke For when erthe upon erthe has broughte within brinke Thane shall erthe of erthe have a foul stinke
Memento, homo, quad cinis es Et in cenerem reverentis
Memento, homo, quad cinis es Et in cenerem reverentis
t's a bit easier to understand the song with the lyrics translated into modern English:
Earth has been miraculously created out of earth Earth has attained a high position on earth out of nothing Earth has fixed all his thoughts On trying to raise earth to heaven on earth
Earth wants to be an earthly king But earth doesn't have a clue how on earth to go about it When earth breeds earth and brings his reward home Earth and earth will have to bid each other a tragic farewell
Remember, o man, that you are ashes And into ashes you will return
Earth conquers castles and towers on earth Then says earth to the earth, "All of this belongs to us" When earth has built up his defences on earth That is when earth will really get his come-uppance from earth
Remember, o man, that you are ashes And into ashes you will return
Earth is piled up on earth like dirt on dirt He who swans around the earth, glittering like gold As though earth won't really have to return to earth Will soon find earth indeed becoming earth again, no matter how much he tries to fight it
I really wonder why earth loves earth Or why earth should toil and work for earth's sake Because when earth is brought to the earth of his grave Earth back in the earth will stink to high heaven
Remember, o man, that you are ashes And into ashes you will return
Remember, o man, that you are ashes And into ashes you will return