An ancient and great poem from Somerset, England. Maybe you recall Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP reciting it in the Commons.

Spoken by Karsten Groeger.

Text:

“Let the wealthy and great, roll in splendor and state,
I envy them not I declare it.
I eat my own lamb
My own chickens and ham
I shear my own fleece and I wear it.
I have lawns, I have bowers, I have fruits, I have flowers.
The lark is my early alarmer.
So Jolly boys now, here’s God speed the plough!
Long life and success to the farmer!

Well I wake every morn to the dew on the corn
when light hasn’t quite touched the sky-o.
To the lowing of cows
and the grunting of sows
and the mare with a glint in her eye-o.
There are deals to be made, there are debts to be paid,
to feed madame credit, the charmer.
So Jolly boys now, here’s God speed the plough!
Long life and success to the farmer!

Well I think every day of my girl far away
of the riches she’ll find on her travels.
Of the sharp foreign smells
and the barbaric yells
and the fine silty loams and the gravels.
But they can’t be as fine
As just spending some time
in the field in the dusk in the summer.
So Jolly boys now, here’s God speed the plough!
Long life and success to the farmer!

Well of all that I love under heaven above
these things are the best of them all-o.
It’s the smell of the land
and the touch of your hand
how it grips soft and warm close to mine-o.
And your voice like a bell well it casts quite a spell
an arrow to pierce through the armor!
So Jolly boys now, here’s God speed the plough!
Long life and success to the farmer!
So Jolly boys now, here’s God speed the plough!
Long life and success to the farmer!

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Watch Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP recite the poem in the Commons: