trad
Oscar Brand translated it in 1957 from a Pennsylvania Dutch song.
The Melrose Quartet: https://melrosequartet.bandcamp.com/track/when-i-first-came-to-this-land
https://melrosequartet.bandcamp.com/track/when-i-first-came-to-this-land
When I first came to this land, I was not a wealthy man So I got myself a shack And I did what I could And I called my shack “break my back” For the land was sweet and good, and I did what I could So I got myself a cow?And I called my cow “no milk now” And I called my shack “break my back” So I got myself a hen?And I called my hen “now and then”… ?cow?shack So I got myself a duck?And I called my duck “out of luck”… ?hen?cow?shack So I got myself a wife?And I called my wife “love of my life”… ?duck?hen?cow?shack So I got myself a son?And I called my son “my work’s done”… ?wife?duck?hen?cow?shack