text_original: Shortly be  fore his death he wrote : " I desire, my dear Mr. Pope, whom I love as my own soul, if you survive me, as you certainly will, if a stone should mark the place of my grave, see these words put upon it : ** * Life is a jest and all things show it : I thought so once, but now I Icnow it. 1 n Gay died in the house of his friends, the Duke and Duchess of Queensberry, on December 4, 1732.
text_transcription: SHORTLY BEFORE HIS DEATH HE WROTE I DESIRE MY DEAR MISTER POPE WHOM I LOVE AS MY OWN SOUL IF YOU SURVIVE ME AS YOU CERTAINLY WILL IF A STONE SHOULD MARK THE PLACE OF MY GRAVE SEE THESE WORDS PUT UPON IT LIFE IS A JEST AND ALL THINGS SHOW IT I THOUGHT SO ONCE BUT NOW I KNOW IT GAY DIED IN THE HOUSE OF HIS FRIENDS THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF QUEENSBURY ON DECEMBER FOURTH SEVE
phonemes: ʃˈɔːɹtli biː fˈɔːɹ hɪz dˈɛθ hiː ɹˈoʊt : " aɪ dɪzˈaɪɚ, maɪ dˈɪɹ mˈɪstɚ. pˈoʊp, hˈuːm aɪ lˈʌv æz maɪ ˈoʊn sˈoʊl, ɪf juː sɚvˈaɪv mˌiː, æz juː sˈɜːʔn̩li wˈɪl, ɪf ɐ stˈoʊn ʃˌʊd mˈɑːɹk ðə plˈeɪs ʌv maɪ ɡɹˈeɪv, sˈiː ðiːz wˈɜːdz pˈʊt əpˌɑːn ɪt : ˈæstɚɹˌɪskɐstɚɹˌɪsk ˈæstɚɹˌɪsk lˈaɪf ɪz ɐ dʒˈɛst ænd ˈɔːl θˈɪŋz ʃˈoʊ ɪt : aɪ θˈɔːt sˌoʊ wˈʌns, bˌʌt nˈaʊ aɪ ˈaɪknoʊ ɪt. wˈʌn ˈɛn ɡˈeɪ dˈaɪd ɪnðə hˈaʊs ʌv hɪz fɹˈɛndz, ðə dˈuːk ænd dˈʌtʃɛs ʌv kwˈiːnsbɛɹi, ˌɔn dᵻsˈɛmbɚ fˈɔːɹ, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvənhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi tˈuː.