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Wikipedia article{{Infobox musical composition | name = We Plough the Fields and Scatter | type = | image = Portrait claudius.jpg | alt = | caption = Matthias Claudius | translation = | native_name = "Wir pflgen und wir streuen" | native_name_lang = | composer = | genre = Hymn | occasion = | text = Matthias Claudius | language = | written = 1782 | based_on = | meter = 7.6.7.6 D with refrain | melody = "Wir Pflgen" by Johann A. P. Schulz | composed = | published = | misc = }}'"We Plough the Fields and Scatter"' is a hymn of German origin commonly associated with harvest festival. Written by poet Matthias Claudius, "Wir pflgen und wir streuen" was published in 1782 and set to music in 1800 attributed to Johann A. P. Schulz. It was translated into English by Jane Montgomery Campbell in 1861. It appears in a shortened form in the musical 'Godspell', as the song, "All Good Gifts". It is among the most performed of hymns in the United Kingdom. HistoryOriginsIn 1777, Matthias Claudius had become ill and returned to Christianity after leaving it in his 20s. During his illness he wrote a number of poems. In 1782, a friend invited him over for dinner and asked him to bring one of the Christian poems he had written. Claudius wrote "Wir pflgen und wir streuen" based on Psalm 144 for this occasion with 17 verses. The poem was then published in "'Asinus omnia sua secum portans'" as a peasant's song. From there, it was published across Germany in number of hymnbooks. The majority of these cut down on the original 17 verses with the publishers often deciding to start with the 3rd verse which started with "Wir pflgen und wir streuen" (English: We Plough The Fields And Scatter).English translationIn 1862 in England, Jane Montgomery Campbell, who was proficient in the German language, started to translate a number of German hymns into English. She translated "Wir pflgen und wir streuen" into English as "We Plough the Fields and Scatter"; however, she did not make a strict translation from the original German but ensured retention of the hymn's original focus of giving thanks to God for the harvest. She taught the hymn to the children at the Church of England parish school in London where her father was the rector. The hymn was later published in Charles Bere's 'Garland of Songs' and 'Children's Chorale Book'.UsageThe hymn is predominantly used as a hymn to give thanks to God for the harvest and it has also been used in the United States as a hymn for Thanksgiving. The hymn has also been referenced in popular culture. In 1969, future Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, John Betjeman parodied the hymn as "We spray the fields and scatter/the poison on the land" published in 'Harvest Times' as a protest against modern farming methods and new planning legislation. "We Plough The fields and Scatter" has also had a number of unofficial updated verses for it. An anonymous revised first verse which alluded to Betjeman's parody was published titled "We Plough the Fields with tractors". This verse, however, has been criticised as banal as it would not reference the history of the harvest. LyricsLyrics as published in 1861 in 'A Garland of Songs':
Verse 3 was revised to make it better suited to the harvest in Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1868 Appendix:
The hymn references (verse 1), (chorus), and (verse 2, line 3). ReferencesCategory:English Christian hymns Category:18th-century hymns Category:Thanksgiving songs Category:1861 songs | |
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