O my flail, my sor-ry flail!
A ve-ry clum-sy tool art thou.
Ear-ly and late I feel thy weight.
The sweat is pour-ing from my brow,
Yet my flail, my trust-y flail!
My flail that thresh-est out the grain,
Though wear-y now,
Both I and thou
To-mor-row must to work a-gain.
The above is a well-known Portuguese folk-song. As is always the case with folk-songs which are traditional, there are slight differences in the versions in use in different places. The above is the version as sung by students at Coimbra. All present should clap their hands on the first three beats of every bar. The author is indebted for the English translation to Mr. Morton Latham.