Give what Deserve.
My father’s dead, and Mother’s left
With her five children small,
And, what is worse for Mother still,
I’m the oldest of them all.
Though little I be yet I fear not work
If you will me employ
To plough and sow, and reap and mow
And be a farmer’s boy.
Paraphrase.
My father is dead, and Mother is left with five little ones; and what is worse for Mother is that the others are younger than I. But though I am not a big boy, I am not afraid of any work you may give me, whether ploughing or sowing, reaping or mowing, if only you will let me be a farmer’s boy to you.
(Here you see how to turn inverted passages back to ordinary speech. Five children small becomes five little ones and Though little I be becomes though I am not a big boy.)
And, what is worse for Mother still,
I’m the oldest of them all.
Though little I be yet I fear not work
If you will me employ
To plough and sow, and reap and mow
And be a farmer’s boy.
Paraphrase.
My father is dead, and Mother is left with five little ones; and what is worse for Mother is that the others are younger than I. But though I am not a big boy, I am not afraid of any work you may give me, whether ploughing or sowing, reaping or mowing, if only you will let me be a farmer’s boy to you.
(Here you see how to turn inverted passages back to ordinary speech. Five children small becomes five little ones and Though little I be becomes though I am not a big boy.)
