O happy plains (Philip Hayes)

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• (Posted 2022-03-06)  CPDL #68280: 

Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2022-03-06).   Score information: A4, 3 pages, 194 kB   Copyright: CC BY SA

Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download.

General Information

Title: O happy plains
Composer: Philip Hayes
Lyricist: John Gay^{create page}
Number of voices: 3vv   Voicing: TTB
Genre: Secular, Glee

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1786 The Muses' Fancy
Description: 

Original text and translations

English text

 happy plains, remote from war's alarms
And all the ravages of hostile arms!
And happy shepherds who, secure from fear,
On open downs preserve your fleecy care!
Whose spacious barns groan with increasing store,
And whirling flails disjoint the crackling floor;
No barb'rous soldier, bent on cruel spoil,
Spreads desolation o'er your fertile soil;
No trampled steed lays waste the ripen'd grain,
Nor crackling fires devour the promis'd gain;
Nor flaming beacons cast their blaze afar,
The dreadful signal of invasive war;
No trumpet's clangour wounds the mother's ear,
And calls the lover from his swooning fair.