--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight…" description: "\"“Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices, Tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5d/william-shakespeare-4_long-sleep_sounds-and-sweet-airs-that-give-delight_1042484.jpg" --- # Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not… ![“Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices, That, if I then had waked after long sleep, Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming, The clouds methought would open, and show riches Ready to…” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5d/william-shakespeare-4_long-sleep_sounds-and-sweet-airs-that-give-delight_1042484.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5d/william-shakespeare-4_long-sleep_sounds-and-sweet-airs-that-give-delight_1042484.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5d/william-shakespeare-4_long-sleep_sounds-and-sweet-airs-that-give-delight_1042484.jpg) > ““Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices, That, if I then had waked after long sleep, Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming, The clouds methought would open, and show riches Ready to drop upon me; that, when I waked, I cried to dream again. STE.”” [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker longs for music that soothes without harm, dreaming of abundant blessings that seem to fall from the sky, and wishes to return to that dream state. **In simple terms:** Yearns for harmless music and dreamlike riches. Key Takeaway Seek soothing experiences and cherish hopeful dreams. Themes beauty music dreams longing hope Mood wistalgic hopeful contemplative Type literary poetic inspirational When to use this quote - Listening to calming music - creative writing - meditation - artistic inspiration - seeking comfort Key Concepts Aesthetic pleasure transcendence imagination Questions to Reflect On - What does the music represent in your life? - Can you find real‑world equivalents of “riches” that inspire you? A Different Perspective Dreams may be fleeting and not translate into real fulfillment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Long sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-sleep/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) ## Related quotes > [Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/be-not-afeard-the-isle-is-full-of-noises-sounds-and-sweet-airs-that/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [...and then, in dreaming, / The clouds methought would open and show riches / Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked /…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/and-then-in-dreaming-the-clouds-methought-would-open-and-show-riches/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [It sounds sweet when, after a long time, people talk good about you, especially when you have done a lot for the country and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-azharuddin/it-sounds-sweet-when-after-a-long-time-people-talk-good-about-you/) [Mohammad Azharuddin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-azharuddin/) > [And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man's ears to the voices of the day and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/and-if-you-sing-though-as-angels-and-love-not-the-singing-you-muffle/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [When I waked, I cried to dream again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/when-i-waked-i-cried-to-dream-again/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/be-not-afeard-the-isle-is-full-of-noises/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“I didn't know why he became a tree. I don't really know anything about why druids become trees- Peace and quiet, said Elisandria matter-of-factly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-nix/i-didn-t-know-why-he-became-a-tree-i-don-t-really-know-anything-about/) [Garth Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-nix/) > [“7. Some Theories that Arose at the Time 1. The world is merely a dream dreamt by god who is waking after a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/7-some-theories-that-arose-at-the-time-1-the-world-is-merely-a-dream/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [The first person who's on your mind the moment you open your eyes after a long sleep is the reason of either your happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-person-who-s-on-your-mind-the-moment-you-open-your-eyes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The sensation was part of the general strangeness that made him feel like a man waking from a long sleep to find himself in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/the-sensation-was-part-of-the-general-strangeness-that-made-him-feel/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [I take a deep breath. I'm not sure where that swell of desperation came from, but know that I've acknowledge it, it's impossible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-take-a-deep-breath-i-m-not-sure-where-that-swell-of-desperation/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Something within me is waking from long sleep, and I want to live and move again. Some zest is returning to me, some immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/something-within-me-is-waking-from-long-sleep-and-i-want-to-live-and/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [What is a man's life but a prelude to his death? And what is death but a long sleep, a most welcome forgetfulness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-a-man-s-life-but-a-prelude-to-his-death-and-what-is-death-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She retired early and, consequently, was in ignorance of the receipt of a telegram by Sylvanus Starr announcing the return of Andy P. Symes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lockhart/she-retired-early-and-consequently-was-in-ignorance-of-the-receipt-of/) [Caroline Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lockhart/) > [So much for modern science and its wonderful discoveries that just about everything can kill you. Life is only a bedtime story before a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bloch/so-much-for-modern-science-and-its-wonderful-discoveries-that-just/) [Robert Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bloch/) ## More by William Shakespeare > [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. Julius Caesar (2.1.248-251)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-hast-no-figures-nor-no-fantasies-which-busy-care-draws-in-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Truth needs no color; beauty, no pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/truth-needs-no-color-beauty-no-pencil/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Have you not heard it said full oft, A woman's nay doth stand for naught?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-heard-it-said-full-oft-a-woman-s-nay-doth-stand-for/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Omittance is no quittance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/omittance-is-no-quittance/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.' And yet, I warrant, it had upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yes-madam-yet-i-cannot-choose-but-laugh-to-think-it-should-leave/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-take-thee-at-thy-word-call-me-but-love-and-i-ll-be-new-baptized/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Explore all 5,604 William Shakespeare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More Long sleep quotes > [So much for modern science and its wonderful discoveries that just about everything can kill you. Life is only a bedtime story before a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bloch/so-much-for-modern-science-and-its-wonderful-discoveries-that-just/) [Robert Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bloch/) > [“She retired early and, consequently, was in ignorance of the receipt of a telegram by Sylvanus Starr announcing the return of Andy P. Symes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lockhart/she-retired-early-and-consequently-was-in-ignorance-of-the-receipt-of/) [Caroline Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lockhart/) > [What is a man's life but a prelude to his death? And what is death but a long sleep, a most welcome forgetfulness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-a-man-s-life-but-a-prelude-to-his-death-and-what-is-death-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Something within me is waking from long sleep, and I want to live and move again. Some zest is returning to me, some immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/something-within-me-is-waking-from-long-sleep-and-i-want-to-live-and/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [I take a deep breath. I'm not sure where that swell of desperation came from, but know that I've acknowledge it, it's impossible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-take-a-deep-breath-i-m-not-sure-where-that-swell-of-desperation/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“7. Some Theories that Arose at the Time 1. The world is merely a dream dreamt by god who is waking after a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/7-some-theories-that-arose-at-the-time-1-the-world-is-merely-a-dream/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [“I didn't know why he became a tree. I don't really know anything about why druids become trees- Peace and quiet, said Elisandria matter-of-factly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-nix/i-didn-t-know-why-he-became-a-tree-i-don-t-really-know-anything-about/) [Garth Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-nix/) > [Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/be-not-afeard-the-isle-is-full-of-noises/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The first person who's on your mind the moment you open your eyes after a long sleep is the reason of either your happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-person-who-s-on-your-mind-the-moment-you-open-your-eyes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The sensation was part of the general strangeness that made him feel like a man waking from a long sleep to find himself in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/the-sensation-was-part-of-the-general-strangeness-that-made-him-feel/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [“There comes a point in life where each one of us who survives begins to feel like a ghost that has forgotten to die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/there-comes-a-point-in-life-where-each-one-of-us-who-survives-begins/) [Louis de Bernières](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/) > [To many forms of life of our northern lands, winter means a long sleep; to others, it means what it means to many fortunate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/to-many-forms-of-life-of-our-northern-lands-winter-means-a-long-sleep/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [What a host of little incidents, all deep-buried in the past -- problems that had once been urgent, arguments that had once been keen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hilton/what-a-host-of-little-incidents-all-deep-buried-in-the-past-problems/) [James Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hilton/) > [“Give yourself to me, Gemma, and you will never be alone again. You'll be worshiped. Adored. Loved. But you must give yourself to me-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/give-yourself-to-me-gemma-and-you-will-never-be-alone-again-you-ll-be/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [“shudder through the train as if some huge, ancient animal were waking itself from a long sleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/shudder-through-the-train-as-if-some-huge-ancient-animal-were-waking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 59 Long sleep quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-sleep/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices, That, if I then had waked after long sleep, Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming, The clouds methought would open, and show riches Ready to drop upon me; that, when I waked, I cried to dream again. STE.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Shakespeare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/sounds-and-sweet-airs-that-give-delight-and-hurt-not-sometimes-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Long sleep" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/sounds-and-sweet-airs-that-give-delight-and-hurt-not-sometimes-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5d/william-shakespeare-4_long-sleep_sounds-and-sweet-airs-that-give-delight_1042484.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5d/william-shakespeare-4_long-sleep_sounds-and-sweet-airs-that-give-delight_1042484.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5d/william-shakespeare-4_long-sleep_sounds-and-sweet-airs-that-give-delight_1042484.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum…” — William Shakespeare", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Shakespeare", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Sounds and sweet airs, that give...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/sounds-and-sweet-airs-that-give-delight-and-hurt-not-sometimes-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/sounds-and-sweet-airs-that-give-delight-and-hurt-not-sometimes-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```