Circa 1800 - 1830
How happy is the little child
Who tends his flock alone,
While o’er him spreads the silent sky
And peace is all his own.
He hears the wild bird’s cheerful song,
He sees the lambs at play,
And knows no care, and feels no strife,
From dawn till close of day.
His food is of the simplest kind,
His rest beneath a tree,
Yet he is blest in soul and mind,
And from all envy free.
He envies not the city’s pomp,
Nor courts the rich man’s hall;
His humble home, his health, his heart —
He deems them better all.
Collected by:
Vaughn Williams and other collectors
Source:
The Box Museum Plymouth Archive ; Box 3180 Page 31; More information can be found at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library
