The useful plough (Anonymous, set by B. Britten) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


A country life is sweet,
In moderate cold and heat,
To walk in the air, how pleasant and fair,
In ev'ry field of wheat.
The fairest of flowers adorning the bowers
And ev'ry meadow's brow;
So that, I say, no courtier may
Compare with them who clothe in grey,
And follow the useful plough.

They rise with the morning lark,
And labour till almost dark,
Then folding their sheep, they hasten to sleep,
While ev'ry pleasant park,
Next morning is ringing with birds that are singing,
On each green tender bough;
With what content and merriment,
Their days are spent, whose minds are bent,
To follow the useful plough.

Input by Tom White

Authorship

Anonymous/Unidentified Artist

Lighter Verse -- King's Treasuries

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

(Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Friday Afternoons

Date added to the website: 2007-10-01.

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