The Weeders (Thomas Arne)
Music files
ICON | SOURCE |
---|---|
Web Page | |
File details | |
Help |
- Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2011-08-20). Score information: A4, 12 pages, 120 kB Copyright: Personal
- Edition notes: The current edition eschews the catch format, and is written out in full. Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download.
General Information
Title: The Weeders
Composer: Thomas Arne
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: TTTT
Genre: Secular, Partsong
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published:
Description:
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
Joan, marching forth with a rusty old knife,
Tucked up her tail, in the garden to weed;
Ralph, who an hour had been toiling for life,
Called on the devil to quicken her speed.
"Rot you", said he, "where the deuce have you been?
Plague on your conscience, must I work alone?
Down with that thistle, those coleworts between:
Mind, you old whore, or I'll tip you a stone".
"Oh!", she cried out, with a terrible squall,
"I've had such a prick as will make me run mad:
Pox on this thistle, the garden and all;
No sting of a hornet was ever so bad".
"Plague on your bawling! what ails you? Come here;
No prick could have made you so loudly to roar;
'Tis shamming the cripple, for hark in your ear,
You never yet squeaked, at a hundred or more".