Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

REAPER'S SONG by THOMAS D'ARCY MCGEE

First Line: THE AUGUST SUN IS SETTING
Subject(s): FREEDOM;


I.
THE August sun is setting
Like a fire behind the hills
'Twill rise again to see us free
Of life or of its ills;
For what is life, but deadly strife
That knows no truce or pause,
And what is death, but want of breath
To curse their alien laws?
Chorus Then a-shearing let us go, my boys,
A-shearing let us go,
On our own soil 'twill be no toil
To lay the corn low.


II.
The harvest that is growing
Was given us by God
Praise be to Him, the sun and shower
Work'd for us at his nod.
The lords of earth, in gold and mirth,
Ride on their ancient way,
But could their smile have clothed the isle In such delight to-day?
Chorus.


III.


How will you go a-shearing,
Dear friends and neighbors all?"
Oh, we will go with pike and gun,
To have our own or fall;
We'll stack our arms and stack our corn
Upon the same wide plain;
We'll plant a guard in barn and yard,
And give them grape for grain."
Chorus.
IV.
God speed ye, gallant shearers,
May your courage never fail,
May you thrash your foes, and send the chaff
To England on the gale!
May you have a glorious harvest-home,
Whether I'm alive or no;
Your corn grows here, the foe comes there
Or it or he must go.
Chorus - Then a-shearing let us go, my boys,
A-shearing we will go,
On our own soil 'twill be no toil
To cut the corn low




Home: PoetryExplorer.net