trad
Cecil Sharp notes: “The adjective ‘painful’ is of course, used in its original sense of taking pains, careful, industrious.” Roy Palmer wrote in 1972: “According to Baring-Gould, this ballad may have been written by Martin Parker, who died about 1656. It was extremely popular during the nineteenth century, no doubt as an assertion of the dignity of the labourers and the importance of their work.” Finest Kind wrote: “This 19th century English ballad in its original form was an argument between a ploughman and a gardener as to whose occupation was more valuable to humanity. In most versions heard nowadays, the gardener’s side has disappeared, flour having won out over flowers.”
Come all you jolly ploughmen of courage stout and bold
Who labour all the winter in stormy winds and cold
To clothe your fields with plenty, your barnyards to renew
To crown them with contentment, behold the painful plough.
For Adam was a ploughman when ploughing first begun
The next that did succeed him was Cain his eldest son.
Some of the generation the calling do pursue,
That bread may not be wanting, remains the painful plough.
And Samson was a mighty man, and Solomon he was wise,
Alexander for to conquer was all his daily prize,
King David he was valious, and many thousands slew
But none of these brave heroes could live without the plough.
Behold the wealthy merchant, that trades in foreign seas
And brings both gold and treasure to those that live at ease
With finest silks and spices, and fruits and dainties too
They are brought from the Indies by virtue of the plough.
For they must have bread and biscuit, rice pudding, flour and peas
To feed the jolly sailor that sails upon the seas
Yet every man that brings them here must own to what is true:
He cannot sail the ocean without the painful plough.