by John Clare (1793 - 1864)
Farmer's boy
Language: English
He waits all day beside his little flock And asks the passing stranger what's o'clock But those who often pass his daily tasks Look at their watch and tell before he asks. He mutters stories to himself and lies Where the thick hedge the warmest house supplies, And when he hears the hunters far and wide He climbs the highest tree to see them ride He climbs till all the fields are bleak and bare And makes the crow's nest an easy chair. And soon his sheep are gone in other grounds He hastens down and fears his master come. He stops the gap and keeps them all in bounds And tends them closely till it's time for home.
Authorship:
- by John Clare (1793 - 1864) [author's text not yet checked 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 Carol Barratt , "Farmer's boy" [voice and piano] [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Mike Pearson
This text was added to the website: 2015-06-27
Line count: 14
Word count: 119