The brief third scene serves to mark the passage of time and to establish the merry mood of the fourth (and final) scene. Touchstone and Audrey are also anxious for the next day to arrive because they, too, will be married. Audrey comments, “I hope it is no dishonest desire to desire to be a woman of the world” (3-4). She means that she (1) desires to be a wife and (2) desires to engage in sexual activity with her husband. Like Oliver and Celia (as noted in the previous scene), the couple look forward to satisfying both their love and their lust.
Two of Duke Senior’s servants arrive and sing a jolly song about spring time and love. The lyrics contain the nonsense line “hey-nonny-no” in each verse. Although many critics assert that the words are meaningless, they actually have a sexual connotation. The lyrics suggest the two young lovers having a tumble or frolic in the hay. Another important line in the song recommends that lovers should “take the present time” (32). This is another way of saying “carpe diem” or “seize the day.” People should enjoy life while they can, for life is short.
At the end of the song Touchstone jokingly tells the singers, “The note was very untunable” (39). He means that the song was not sung well and that the rhythm was off. One of the singers protests, “We lost not our time” (40-41). But Touchstone wittily replies, “I count it but time lost to hear such a foolish song” (42-43). Although Touchstone claims that the