The King and the Miller (James Garner)

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• (Posted 2023-10-18)  CPDL #76436:     

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-10-18).   Score information: Letter, 8 pages, 433 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: The King and the Miller
Composer: James Garner
Lyricist: Charles Mackay
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1893 J. Curwen & Sons
Description: 

Original text and translations

English text

There dwelt a miller, hale and bold,
Beside the River Dee;
He worked and sang from morn till night,
No lark more blithe than he;
And this the burden of his song
Forever used to be:
“I envy nobody - no, not I -
And nobody envies me!”

“Thou’rt wrong, my friend,” said good King Hal,
“As wrong as wrong can be;
For could my heart be light as thine,
I’d gladly change with thee.
And tell me now, what makes thee sing,
With voice so loud and free,
While I am sad, though I’m the King,
Beside the river Dee?”

The miller smiled and doff’d his cap,
“I earn my bread,” quoth he;
“I love my wife, I love my friend,
I love my children three;
I owe no penny I cannot pay,
I thank the river Dee,
That turns the mill that grinds the corn
That feeds my babes and me.”

“Good friend,” said Hal, and sighed the while,
“Farewell, and happy be;
But say no more, if thou’dst be true,
That no one envies thee;
Thy mealy cap is worth my crown,
Thy mill my kingdom’s fee;
Such men as thou are England’s boast,
O miller of the Dee!”