Identifying a poem ?

[Vipersan]

..so my dad has requested I try and find what poem these lines are from ..
He read it as a child ..so no guarantees he has the words correct ..
but it begins something like..
'Wasn't it jolly with only us three..
The yellow eyed collie ,the moor and me ..
I think of them still ..
Twixt meadow and mill..'
etc etc ...
he wants to read it again ..but knows neither the name of the poem ..nor its author ..
googling the lines draws a blank..
perhaps one of you old timers can help ?
rgds
VS

 

[Analoguesat]

Bottom reply

The Poetry Library | Poetry queries | Lost quotations

 

[sonnetpete]

perhaps one of you old timers can help ?

I'll try to help but my zimmer frame's on the blink....

 

[Vipersan]

Thanks guys ..
It's called Hay Harvest, by Patrick R. Chalmers.
..and dad like many others had to learn it at school.

I guess it was made all the harder on account I thought it was Moor ..when in fact twas Mower ..
..and he didn't give me opening lines ..more like closing lines ..
..and misremebered what he did know..
cheers all ..speshully you 'old guys' ...no insult was intended.


Oh ..and Dad says thanx as well..

 

[Vipersan]

I met a man mowing

a meadow of hay

so smoothly and flowing

the swathes fell away

at break of the day

down Hambledon way

A yellow-eyed collie was guarding his coat

loose-limbed and lob-lolly

but wise and remote

'Fine Morning' the man says

and I says 'Fine Day'

Then I to my fancies and he to his hay

And lovely and quiet and peaceful and still

lay river and eyot, mead, river and hill

Oh wasn't it jolly

with only us three

the yellow-eyed collie

the mower and me"

 

[Analoguesat]

Useful google trick - use quote marks to narrow down a search

Wasn't it jolly with only us three - searches for anything with any of those words in it - doesnt help in this situation

"Wasn't it jolly with only us three" - searches for just that term.

 

[dxhound2003]

Or Google Advanced Search, using the "This exact word or phrase" box.