We Plow The Fields
We Plow the Fields
We plow the fields and scatter
The good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered
By God’s almighty hand.
He sends the snow in winter,
The warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine,
And soft, refreshing rain.
All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above;
Then thank the Lord,
O thank the Lord for all His love.
He only is the Maker
Of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star.
The winds and waves obey Him,
By Him the birds are fed;
Much more, to us His children,
He gives our daily bread.
We thank Thee then, O Father,
For all things bright and good:
The seedtime and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
For all Thy love imparts,
And, what Thou most desirest,
Our humble thankful hearts.
Translated by Jane M. Campbell (1817–1878)
MATTHIAS CLAUDIUS had no intention of writing a hymn. A German journalist, he was merely writing a poem about a group of peasants gathering for a banquet. The poem, originally entitled “Paul Erdmann’s Fest,” in seventeen stanzas depicts friends coming over to Paul Erdmann’s house and enjoying themselves. It praises both Paul Erdmann for his hospitality and God as the ultimate source of the feast.
It was Jane Campbell, a British music teacher, who made the free translation of this poem into its present English form. She contributed it to a new hymnal in 1861, along with some other translations from German. It has become a favorite harvest hymn in modern churches.
Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
James 1:17-18
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