by Alfred Edward Housman (1859 - 1936)
Translation © by Max Mader

Is my team ploughing
 (Sung text for setting by R. Vaughan Williams)
 See original
Language: English 
Our translations:  FRE HEB
"Is my team ploughing,
That I was used to drive
And hear the harness jingle
When I was man alive?"

Ay, the horses trample,
The harness jingles now;
No change though you lie under
The land you used to plough.

 ... 

"Is my girl happy,
That I thought hard to leave,
And has she tired of weeping
As she lies down at eve?"

Ay, she lies down lightly,
She lies not down to weep:
Your girl is well contented.
Be still, my lad, and sleep.

"Is my friend hearty,
Now I am thin and pine,
And has he found to sleep in
A better bed than mine?"

Yes, lad, I lie easy,
I lie as lads would choose;
I cheer a dead man's sweetheart,
Never ask me whose.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2, 5-8 of the original text.

Composition:

    Set to music by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958), "Is my team ploughing", 1908-9, published 1911, stanzas 1-2, 5-8 [ tenor, piano, and string quartet ad libitum ], from On Wenlock Edge, no. 3

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • FRE French (Français) (Patricia Dillard Eguchi) , "Mon attelage laboure-t-il ?", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Max Mader) , "האם הצמד שלי חורש", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 168

Language: Hebrew (עברית)  after the English 
"האם הצמד שלי חורש
שאני הייתי מוביל
ושומע את צילצוך הריתמה
כשהייתי עוד בחיים?"

     "כן, הסוסים דורכים,
    הריתמה עדיין מצלצל. 
    אין שינוי למרות שאתה מונח
    מתחת האדמה שהיית חורש".

 ... 

"האם חברתי מאושרת
שחשבתי שקשה לעזוב,
והאם הפסיקה לבכות
כשהיא שוכבת בערב?"

   "כן, היא שוכבת בקלות.
   היא אינה שוכבת לבכות.
   חברתך מאוד מבסוטה.
   תירגע, ידידי, ותישן"

"האם חברי מאושר
עכשיו שאני רזה ומתגעגע.
האם הוא מצא לישון בה
מיטה טובה משלי?" 

   "כן, חבר, אני שוכב בנוח.
   אני שוכב כפי שבחורים בוחרים.
   אני משמח חברתו של אדם מת.
   אל תשאל של מי ..."

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2, 5-8 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to Hebrew (עברית) copyright © 2014 by Max Mader, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:

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This text was added to the website: 2014-02-17
Line count: 32
Word count: 119