Carols Old and Carols New ‎#25

25. Singing the reapers homeward come

1 Singing the reapers homeward come,
Io! Io! Io!
Merrily singing the harvest home,
Io! Io! Io!
Io! Io! Io!
Along the field, along the road,
Where autumn is scattering leaves abroad,
Homeward cometh the ripe last load,
Io! Io! Io!
Homeward cometh the ripe last load,
Io! Io! Io!

2 Singers are filling the twilight dim
With cheerful song,
Io! Io! Io!
The spirit of song ascends to Him
Who causeth the corn to grow,
Who causeth the corn to grow.
He freely sent the golden rain,
The summer sun glorified hill and plain,
To golden perfection brought the grain,
Io! Io! Io!
To golden perfection brought the grain,
Io! Io! Io!

3 Silently, nightly, feel the dew,
Gently the rain, Io!
But who can tell how the green corn grew,
Or who beheld it grow?
Or who beheld it grow?
Oh! God, the good, in sun and rain,
He look’d on the flourishing fields of grain,
Till they all appear’d on hill and plain
Like living gold, Io!
Till they all appear’d on hill and plain
Like living gold, Io!

Text Information

• First Line: Singing the reapers homeward come
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1916
• Topic: Harvest

Tune Information

• Name: [Singing the reapers homeward come]
• Composer: W. H. Gill
• Incipit: 53451 21655 55555