Nature

The Ploughman

by Carolina Nairne 1766–1845

From The Modern Scottish Minstrel, vol. 1 (1855–57)

Nature

There 's high and low, there 's rich and poor,
There 's trades and crafts enew, man;
But, east and west, his trade 's the best,
That kens to guide the pleugh, man.
Then, come, weel speed my pleughman lad,
And hey my merry pleughman;
Of a' the trades that I do ken,
Commend me to the pleughman.

His dreams are sweet upon his bed,
His cares are light and few, man;
His mother's blessing 's on his head,
That tents her weel, the pleughman.
Then, come, weel speed, &c.

The lark, sae sweet, that starts to meet
The morning fresh and new, man;
Blythe though she be, as blythe is he
That sings as sweet, the pleughman.
Then, come, weel speed, &c.

All fresh and gay, at dawn of day
Their labours they renew, man;
Heaven bless the seed, and bless the soil,
And Heaven bless the pleughman.
Then, come, weel speed, &c.

MLA

Nairne, Carolina. “The Ploughman.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/nairn/1/.

Chicago

Nairne, Carolina. “The Ploughman.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/nairn/1/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by Carolina Nairne