My Father Was A Farmer（1 / 2）
my father was a farmer
tune—“the weaver and his shuttle, o.”
my father was a farmer upon the carrick border, o,
and carefully he bred me in decency and order, o;
he bade me act a manly part, though i had ne'er a farthing, o;
for without an honest manly heart, no man was worth regarding, o.
then out into the world my course i did determine, o;
tho' to be rich was not my wish, yet to be great was charming, o;
my talents they were not the worst, nor yet my education, o:
resolv'd was i at least to try to mend my situation, o.
in many a way, and vain essay, i courted fortune's favour, o;
some cause unseen still stept between, to frustrate each endeavour, o;
sometimes by foes i was o'erpower'd, sometimes by friends forsaken, o;
and when my hope was at the top, i still was worst mistaken, o.
then sore harass'd and tir'd at last, with fortune's vain delusion, o,
i dropt my schemes, like idle dreams, and came to this conclusion, o;
the past was bad, and the future hid, its good or ill untried, o;
but the present hour was in my pow'r, and so i would enjoy it, o.
no help, nor hope, nor view had i, nor person to befriend me, o;
so i must toil, and sweat, and moil, and labour to sustain me, o;
to plough and sow, to reap and mow, my father bred me early, o;
for one, he said, to labour bred, was a match for fortune fairly, o.
thus all obscure, unknown, and poor, thro' life i'm doom'd to wander, o,
till down my weary bones i lay in everlasting slumber, o:
no view nor care, but shun whate'er might breed me pain or sorrow, o;
i live to-day as well's i may, regardless of to-morrow, o.
but cheerful still, i am as well as a monarch in his palace, o,
tho' fortune's frown still hunts me down, with all her wonted malice, o:
i make indeed my daily bread, but ne'er can make it farther, o:
but as daily bread is all i need, i do not much regard her, o. ↑返回顶部↑
tune—“the weaver and his shuttle, o.”
my father was a farmer upon the carrick border, o,
and carefully he bred me in decency and order, o;
he bade me act a manly part, though i had ne'er a farthing, o;
for without an honest manly heart, no man was worth regarding, o.
then out into the world my course i did determine, o;
tho' to be rich was not my wish, yet to be great was charming, o;
my talents they were not the worst, nor yet my education, o:
resolv'd was i at least to try to mend my situation, o.
in many a way, and vain essay, i courted fortune's favour, o;
some cause unseen still stept between, to frustrate each endeavour, o;
sometimes by foes i was o'erpower'd, sometimes by friends forsaken, o;
and when my hope was at the top, i still was worst mistaken, o.
then sore harass'd and tir'd at last, with fortune's vain delusion, o,
i dropt my schemes, like idle dreams, and came to this conclusion, o;
the past was bad, and the future hid, its good or ill untried, o;
but the present hour was in my pow'r, and so i would enjoy it, o.
no help, nor hope, nor view had i, nor person to befriend me, o;
so i must toil, and sweat, and moil, and labour to sustain me, o;
to plough and sow, to reap and mow, my father bred me early, o;
for one, he said, to labour bred, was a match for fortune fairly, o.
thus all obscure, unknown, and poor, thro' life i'm doom'd to wander, o,
till down my weary bones i lay in everlasting slumber, o:
no view nor care, but shun whate'er might breed me pain or sorrow, o;
i live to-day as well's i may, regardless of to-morrow, o.
but cheerful still, i am as well as a monarch in his palace, o,
tho' fortune's frown still hunts me down, with all her wonted malice, o:
i make indeed my daily bread, but ne'er can make it farther, o:
but as daily bread is all i need, i do not much regard her, o. ↑返回顶部↑