by Alfred Perceval Graves (1846 - 1931)
Jack the jolly ploughboy
Language: English
As Jack the jolly ploughboy was ploughing through the land, He turned his share and shouted to bid his horses stand, Then down beside his team he sat, contented as a king, And Jack he sang his song so sweet he made the mountains ring With his Ta-ran-nan nanty na, Sing ta-ran-nan nanty na, While the mountains all ringing re-echoed the singing Of Ta-ran-nan nanty na. 'Tis said old England's sailors, when wintry tempests roar, Will plough the stormy waters and pray for those on shore; But through the angry winter the share, the share for me, To drive a steady furrow, and pray for those at sea. With my Ta-ran-nan nanty na, etc. When heaven above is bluest, and earth most green below, Away from wife and sweetheart the fisherman must go; But golden seed I'll scatter beside the girl I love, And smile to hear the cuckoo, and sigh to hear the dove, With my Ta-ran-nan nanty na, etc. 'Tis oft the hardy fishers a scanty harvest earn, And gallant tars from glory on wooden legs return, But a bursting crop for ever shall dance before my flail, For I'll live and die a farmer all in the Golden Vale. With my Ta-ran-nan nanty na, etc.
Stanford abbreviates "turned" to "turn'd" in line 2.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Authorship:
- by Alfred Perceval Graves (1846 - 1931), "Jack the jolly ploughboy", appears in Father O'Flynn and other Irish Lyrics, first published 1880 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir (1852 - 1924), "Jack the jolly ploughboy", published [1882?] [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Old Ireland. A Collection of Fifty Irish Melodies Unknown in England, no. 22, arrangement ; London, Boosey & Co. ; dedicated to Johannes Brahms, August 1882 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-05-16
Line count: 23
Word count: 208