by John Chalkhill (15?? - 16??)
The Countryman
Language: English
Oh, the sweet contentment The countryman doth find. High trolollie lollie loe, High trolollie lie! That quiet contemplation Possesseth all my mind: Then care away And wend along with me. For courts are full of flattery, As hath too oft been tried; High trolollie lollie loe, High trolollie lie! The city full of wantonness, And both are full of pride. Then care away And wend along with me. But oh, the honest countryman Speaks truly from his heart, High trolollie lollie loe, High trolollie lie! His pride is in his tillage, His horses nad his cart: Then care away And wend along with me. The ploughman, though he labour hard, Yet on his holiday, High trolollie lollie loe, High trolollie lie! No emperor so merrily Does pass his time away; Then care away And wend along with me.
Text Authorship:
- by John Chalkhill (15?? - 16??), appears in The Compleat Angler, first published 1653 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "The Countryman", op. 163 (1947) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "The Countryman", op. 217 (1948) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "The Countryman", op. 676 (1966) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Peter Warlock (1894 - 1930), "The Countryman", 1926, published 1926 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 138