I will go with my father a-ploughing To the green field by the sea, And the rooks and the crows and the seagulls Will come flocking after me. I will sing to the patient horses With the lark in the [white]1 of the air, And my father will sing the plough-song That blesses the cleaving share. I will go with my father a-sowing To the red field by the sea, And the rooks and the gulls and the starlings Will come flocking after me. I will sing to the striding sowers With the finch on the [greening]2 sloe, And my father will sing the seed-song That only the wise men know. I will go with my father a-reaping To the brown field by the sea, And the geese and the crows and the children Will come flocking after me. I will sing to the [tan-faced]3 reapers With the wren in the heat of the sun, And my father will sing the scythe song That joys for the harvest done.
Three pastoral songs
Song Cycle by Roger Quilter (1877 - 1953)
1. I will go with my father a‑ploughing  [sung text checked 2 times]
Language: English
Authorship:
- by Joseph Campbell (1881 - 1944), as Seosamh MacCathmhaoil, "I will go with my father a-ploughing", appears in The Mountainy Singer, first published 1909
See other settings of this text.
View original text (without footnotes)1 Quilter: "shine"
2 Quilter: "flow'ring" (or "flowing", as sung by Lisa Milne)
3 Quilter: "weary"
Researcher for this page: Ross Klatte
2. Cherry Valley  [sung text checked 1 time]
Language: English
In Cherry Valley the cherries blow:
The valley paths are white as snow.
And in their time with clusters red
The [scented]1 boughs are crimsonèd.
[Even now the moon]2 is looking thro'
The glimmer of the honey dew.
A petal trembles to the grass,
The feet of fairies pass and pass.
[ ... ]
Authorship:
- by Joseph Campbell (1881 - 1944), as Seosamh MacCathmhaoil, "Cherry Valley", appears in The Mountainy Singer, first published 1909
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Beate Binnig) , "Kirschtal", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
1 Quilter: "heavy"
2 Quilter: "Now the low moon"
Researcher for this page: Alvin Kho
3. I wish and I wish  [sung text checked 1 time]
Language: English
I wish and I wish
And I wish I were
A golden bee
In the blue of the air,
Winging my way
At the [shut]1 of day
To the honey-marges
Of Loch-ciuin-ban;
Or a little green drake,
Or a silver swan,
Floating upon
The Stream of Aili,
And I to be swimming
Gaily, gaily!
I wish and I wish
And I wish I could be
A bud on a branch
Of the red-thorn tree
That blows at the head
Of Blanaid's Bed,
And sheds a petal
At every breath;
[Or a poppy-flower
In the scented swath
That the reapers reap
In the hills of Easa,
For sacrifice
To the dread Lúghnasa.]2
[ ... ]
If wishes [had wings]3
I would not stay,
But [Wine]4 would wile
My soul away;
And [Love]5 would creep
Into my sleep
As soft as a dream
At evenfall,
When the crickets sing
And the curlews call;
And 'tis I would wake
For no new morrow
On the grey round
Of this world of sorrow!
Authorship:
- by Joseph Campbell (1881 - 1944), "I wish and I wish", appears in The Rush-Light, first published 1906
See other settings of this text.
View original text (without footnotes)1 Quilter: "mouth"
2 Quilter:
Or a white milestone On the shining path That climbs the cairn And dips the hollow, Up to the hills of bright Maghmeala.3 Quilter: "were fairies"
4 Quilter: "they"
5 Quilter: "peace"
Research team for this page: Alvin Kho , Ross Klatte
Total word count: 470