His little body's half awry,
His ancles they are swoln and thick;
His legs are thin and dry.
When he was young he little knew
Of husbandry or tillage;
And now he's forced to work, though weak,
—The weakest in the village.
His dwindled body's half awry,
His ancles, too, are swoln and thick;
And now is forced to work,
His dwindled body half awry,
Rests upon ancles swoln and thick;
His legs are thin and dry.
He has no son, he has no child,
His Wife, an aged woman,
Lives with him, near the waterfall,
Upon the village Common.
| 1845 | |
| But what avails the land to them, Which they can till no longer? "But what," saith he, "avails the land, Which I can till no longer?" But what avails it now, the land Which he can till no longer? 'Tis his, but what avails the land Which he can till no longer? The time, alas! is come when he Can till the land no longer. The time is also come when he Can till the land no longer. | 1798 1827 1832 1837 1840 C. |
But what avails the land to them,
Which they can till no longer?
"But what," saith he, "avails the land,
Which I can till no longer?"
But what avails it now, the land
Which he can till no longer?
'Tis his, but what avails the land
Which he can till no longer?
The time, alas! is come when he
Can till the land no longer.
The time is also come when he
Can till the land no longer.
| 1827 | |
| Old Ruth works out of doors with him, And does what Simon cannot do; For she, not over stout of limb, | 1798 |
Old Ruth works out of doors with him,
And does what Simon cannot do;
For she, not over stout of limb,