"This thanksgiving hymn was written by a German, Matthias Claudius, who was born in 1740. In 1779, Claudius had a severe illness in the course of which he came to see his youthful folly, and from that time, he was a humble sweet-spirited Christian, reflecting his faith in the poems he wrote.
This hymn is part of a much longer poem that sketched rural country life, in the course of which the country people sang a harvest song of devotion to God."
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.
Chorus:
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.
(chorus)
We thank Thee, then, O Father, for all things bright and good,
The seed time and the harvest, our life, our health, and food;
No gifts have we to offer, for all Thy love imparts,
But that which Thou desirest, our humble, thankful hearts.
(chorus)
