The Pleughman

The Ploughman

Melody - Seq. by Ron Clarke

Left: Carolina Oliphant (Lady Nairne), 1766-1845; right: ca.1776

There's high and low, there's rich and poor,
There's trades and crafts eneuch, man;
But east and west his trade's the best,
That kens to guide the pleugh, man.
Chorus:
Then come, weel speed my pleughman lad,
And hey my merry pleughman;
Of a' the trades that I do ken,
Commend me to the pleughman.

2. His dreams are sweet upon his bed,
His cares are light and few, man;
His mother's blessin's on his head,
That tents her weel, the pleughman.
Chorus:

3. The lark sae sweet, that starts to meet
The morning fresh and new, man;
Blithe tho' she be, as blithe is he
That sings as sweet, the pleughman.
Chorus:

4. All fresh and gay, at dawn of day,
Their labours they renew, man;
Heaven bless the seed and bless the soil,
And heaven bless the pleughman.
Chorus:

The ploughman he's a bonny lad
And does his work at leisure
And aye when he comes home at e'en
He kisses me with pleasure.
Chorus:
Then up wi't now my ploughman lad
Up wi't all my ploughman
Of all the lads that I do ken
Commend me to the ploughman.

2. The ploughman he comes home at e'en
He comes both wet and weary
Cast off the wet put on the dry
And come to bed my deary.
Chorus:

3. The ploughman he goes to his bed
And thinks to get the ease o't
But he must yoke the stots again
And brisk about the braes o't.
Chorus:

4. He has three oxen in his plough
And two of them are blind jo
The seeing one he goes before
The other two behind jo.
Chorus:

5. Now the blooming spring's come on
He takes his yoking early
And whistling o'er the furrowed land
He goes to fallow cheerly.
Chorus:

6. I will wash my ploughman's hose
And I will wash his o'erlay
And I will make my ploughman's bed
And cheer him late and early.
Chorus:

7. Merry but and merry ben
Merry is my ploughman
Of all the trades that I do ken
Commend me to the ploughman.
Chorus:

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