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by Thomas Westwood (1814? - 1888)

Mill Song
Language: English 
  Merrily the mill-sail 
    Turneth round and round, 
  With a breezy motion 
    And a busy sound. 
  Merrily the miller 
    Standeth at the door, 
  Humming pleasant ditties
    From his ancient store. 
Merrily, oh merrily, all the summer's day,
Hums that burly miller, while the mill-sails play. 

    At the open lattice, 
      In the little homestead near, 
    Sits the miller's good wife,
      With face of blythesome cheer; 
    And round about the gateway 
      A little sturdy throng 
    Of rosy knaves are sporting, 
      With laughter loud and long; 
And merrily, right merrily, at close of summer's day, 
Aye laugh the miller's children the while the mill-sails play. 

    Good luck befall thee, miller, 
      With thy frank and hearty smile; 
    Good luck befall thy dear ones all, 
      That know nor grief nor guile.
    When worldly cares beset us,
      And worldly hopes decline,
    'Tis well, I wot, to linger
      By simple hearths like thine, 
And merrily, still merrily, to pass the live-long day,
'Midst happier thoughts and better hopes, the while the mill-sails play. 

Confirmed with Thomas Westwood, Beads from a Rosary, London: Samuel Clarke, 1843, pages 36-37.


Text Authorship:

  • by Thomas Westwood (1814? - 1888), "Mill Song", appears in Beads from a Rosary [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 Ellen Dickson (1819 - 1878), as Dolores, "Mill Song", published 1861 [ voice and piano ], London : Charles Jefferys [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2023-06-26
Line count: 30
Word count: 166

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