The wicked rich man he is dead,
His wife goes to his tomb to pray:
“O my God, give my husband back,
With all my heart I beg to-day.”

“O my poor woman, come again,
To-morrow at this hour return;
You will find then a glowing fire,
And in it will your husband burn.”

“O my poor husband, if you 're there,
I pray you speak to me again.”
“Oh yes, my wife, yes, I am here!
For you and me I bear this pain.

“Do you remember, O my wife,
That measure in the grange, now tell?
You must have it made to measure true,
Or you will surely burn in Hell.

“The beggars, O my wife, that came
To our house door, do you recall?
Instead of giving alms to them,
How you and I refused them all?

“Do you remember, O my wife,
The books that in my chamber lie?
You will surely come to burn in Hell,
Unless you read them more than I.

“Do you remember, O my wife,
The feasting on our wedding-day?
For all those days of festival,
O wife, there is the bill to pay.

“Have you forgotten, O my wife,
The jewels of gold do you forget?
For the jewels of gold I gave to you,
I have not paid the goldsmith yet.

“Have you forgotten, O my wife,
Your pretty shoes do you forget?
For the pretty shoes I gave to you,
The shoemaker is not paid yet.

“Do you remember, O my wife,
Your pretty clothes, do you forget?
For the pretty clothes I gave to you,
I have not paid the merchants yet.

“Farewell, O my poor wife, farewell!
I go to a strange land, farewell!
Farewell for all eternity,
Farewell, for I am damned in Hell.”