The Village Blacksmith | Under a spreading chestnut-tree

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)

The Village Blacksmith

Language: English

Our translations: GER

Under a spreading chestnut-tree
    The village smithy stands; 
The smith, a mighty man is he,
    With large and sinewy hands; 
And the muscles of his brawny arms
    Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long,
    His face is like the tan; 
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
    He earns whate'er he can, 
And looks the whole world in the face,
    For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,
    You can hear his bellows blow; 
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
    With measured beat and slow, 
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
    When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school
    Look in at the open door; 
They love to see the flaming forge,
    And hear the bellows roar, 
And catch the burning sparks that fly
    Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,
    And sits among his boys; 
He hears the parson pray and preach,
    He hears his daughter's voice, 
Singing in the village choir,
    And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice,
    Singing in Paradise! 
He needs must think of her once more,
    How in the grave she lies; 
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes
    A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling, -- rejoicing, -- sorrowing,
    Onward through life he goes; 
Each morning sees some task begin,
    Each evening sees it close; 
Something attempted, something done,
    Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
    For the lesson thou hast taught! 
Thus at the flaming forge of life
    Our fortunes must be wrought; 
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
    Each burning deed and thought.

Text Authorship:

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882), "The Village Blacksmith", appears in Ballads and Other Poems, first published 1842 [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 Thomas Anderton (1836 - 1903), "The Village Blacksmith", published 1898, cantata, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text not yet checked]
by Michael William Balfe (1808 - 1870), "The Village Blacksmith", published 186-? [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by William Henry Berwald (1864 - 1948), "The Village Blacksmith", published 1917 [ mixed chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by John Blockley (1800 - 1882), "The Village Blacksmith", published 1857 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Dudley Buck (1839 - 1909), "The Village Blacksmith", published 1893 [ baritone or bass, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Herbert Daykin , "The Village Blacksmith" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Samuel Richards Gaines (1869 - 1945), "The Village Blacksmith", published 1925 [ soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, and piano or orchestra ], cantata [sung text not yet checked]
by William Edwin Haesche (1867 - 1929), "The Village Blacksmith", op. 34, published 1911 [ tenor, men's chorus, and piano or orchestra ], cantata, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text not yet checked]
by John Liptrot Hatton (1809 - 1886), "The Village Blacksmith", published 1870? [ SATB chorus or ATBB chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Charles F. Heuberer , "The Village Blacksmith", published 1848 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by T. L. Jephson , "The Village Blacksmith", published c1870 [ baritone, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Richard Kountz (1896 - 1950), "The Village Blacksmith", published 1924 [ SSA chorus and piano or orchestra ], cantata [sung text not yet checked]
by William Harold Neidlinger (1863 - 1924), "The Village Blacksmith", published 1918 [ SATB chorus and piano or organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
by George Balch Nevin (1859 - 1933), "The Village Blacksmith", published 1893 [ baritone or bass, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Charles F. Noyes , "The Village Blacksmith", published 1898 [ mixed chorus, piano, organ, and anvil ] [sung text not yet checked]
by George Peabody , "The Village Blacksmith", published 1890 [ baritone or bass, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Carl Reinhardt , "The Village Blacksmith", published 186-? [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by W. Rhys-Herbert , "The Village Blacksmith" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Carl Wagner , "The Village Blacksmith" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by David A. Warden , "The Village Blacksmith", published 1867/72 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Willoughby Hunter Weiss (1820 - 1867), "The Village Blacksmith", published 1851 [ medium voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Willy Kastner ; composed by Thomas Anderton.
Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Alice Mattullath ; composed by William Edwin Haesche.

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

SPA Spanish (Español) (Miguel Antonio Caro) , "El herrero de la aldea", appears in Traducciones poéticas, Bogotá, Librería Americana, calle XIV, n. 77, 79, first published 1889

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-05-08
Line count: 48
Word count: 286