E             G           Am
Farmer Giles of Ham
E             G                Am
Was just an ordinary man.
E                      G                  Am  
But when a giant came to destroy the village
E                    G                   Am
Giles ran outside and shot that giant in the nose
Am
and don't you know, that giant never came back to Ham
Am      E
Ever again

E                                Am
He's farmer Giles of Ham
E                              G
farmer Giles of Ha am am
G
he's just an ordinary man.

E              G                     Am
The evil dragon Chrysophylax
E               G                    Am
was terrorizing the countryside
E               G                    Am                          
king Augustus sent a messenger to Ham, he said
E               G                    Am
"Giles he's our man, and if he cant do it
Am
no one can. Fetch me the farmer,
Am                       E
farmer Giles of Ham

E                                Am
He's farmer Giles of Ham
E                              G
farmer Giles of Ha am am
G
he's just an ordinary man.

E                    G                 Am
With his coat made of iron rings
E                     G                  Am
and the sword given to him by the king
E                     G                   Am                
Giles went to the dragons lair that day
E                       G                    Am              
Poor dragon had to give its whole hoard away
Am
and as you can imagine that made the dragon
Am               E
very very mad

E                                Am
At farmer Giles of Ham
E                              G
farmer Giles of Ha am am
G
he's just an ordinary man.

E                        G                  Am
Giles later went on to be the king
E                         G                        Am
but he didn't forget his friends i Ham
E                                          G                                  Am
when he moved into castle he brought them all along
E                             G                 Am
he even brought his talking dog, and if you recall the dog,
Am                            E
the dogs name is Gram

E                                Am
At farmer Giles of Ham
E                              G
farmer Giles of Ha am am
G
he's just an ordinary man

A farmer working in a field
Felt compassion for his horse--
A tired, overworked jade.
He let it go with no remorse.

When villagers discovered that
The farmer's horse had been set free,
They wondered how the man would prosper.
The farmer succinctly said, "We'll see."

Days later the farmer's horse
Returned to the poor man's piece of land,
Bringing along several others,
Eager to give a helping hand.

The villagers heard the wonderful news
And rushed to share the farmer's glee.
"How fortunate you are!" they said.
The farmer merely replied, "We'll see."

The next day the villagers
Watched with ghastly fear in their faces
The son fall while training the horses
And break his leg in numerous places.

Lamenting the farmer's sad misfortune,
They asked how he would ever be
Able to work the land on his own.
The farmer again replied, "We'll see."

Soon a terrible war broke out.
The emperor needed able young men.
Because of his broken leg, the farmer's
Son was excused from duty. Again

The villagers went to the farmer, saying
"Your son escaped the emperor's decree.
How lucky for both of you!" The farmer
Responded by only saying, "We'll see."

Even though the son's leg healed,
The son walked with a definite limp.
Village children viciously teased him,
Calling him a klutz and a gimp.

The villagers came to see the farmer,
Their words of pity staggeringly
Effusive. "Aren't you sad?" they asked.
The farmer smiled and said, "We'll see."

The sons of the villagers died in the war.
The farmer, along with his only son,
Worked the land, grew quite wealthy,
And never complained to anyone.

Once in a while he'd meet his friends
And chat over a cup of tea.
"How lucky you are!" they'd say to him.
He'd shrug his shoulders and say, "We'll see."

- By Bob B (2-21-17)

°An old Chinese tale retold in verse

THE FARMER
The lonely wood pigeon perched, echoes, sounds of joy – ‘the morning has risen’. The farmer stirs from a deep slumber as a beam of sunshine escapes through the curtain, reaching his furrowed, leathered, weather-beaten brow. He places one foot on the wooden floor, his lips part as the second foot completes the pair. Whispering, “Thank you;” he feels a deep gratitude for having awakened to this new day. He scratches his head in anxiety, with a hand that has worked the farm, wondering if the area aid from the EU will keep him afloat. He understands his maker has determined this day, yet the weather elements will dictate the farmer’s way. He glimpses through the window to see what is yet to come and sights a congregation of birds on the electricity cables above - a sure sign of rain on the way!
In the kitchen, he listens for a weather update. Warming himself near the Aga cooker while making a brew. He looks to the Sacred Heart picture and the hanging family rosary beads. To understand the farmer, one must understand the traditions of the land. The land has a holden-fist on the heart of the farmer, as many farmers well know. It has caused bitterness and disputes in generations past. The farmer must feel a love for the land and a passion for what he does best. The land holds high expectations and demands dedication from him.
From the first leaves falling in autumn, to the nurturing of crops through understanding of spraying techniques. In winter, hearing the cows crave for hay, and repairing machines during the low times. Springtime brings cattle and sheep grazing pastures new; and seagulls landing on freshly ploughed fields. Grass whirling in the wind, then corn ears blowing side by side. The warm glow of the valley in summer brings the harvesting of ripe golden corn. Haymaking sees farm picnics, readymade tea in old lemonade bottles, poured into mugs and stirred by straw, with the smell too of homemade bread and curney cake. The farmer, seeing birds migrate in a ‘V’ pattern, feels an anxiety for the year-end accounts yet to come. Feathers are scattered outside the chicken coup - the fox has been and gone!
The farmer leaves the doorway in silence and walks out to the fields to assess his crop. The early morning dew dampening the ends of his trousers as he walks. A slight smile parts his lips as he listens to insects galore. He bends down and reaches with a strong, hard-skinned, gloveless hand, grasping his crop and pulling from the root. He sees what he needs to know. In that moment he is complete; he is a Farmer! He turns and strokes his dog, which had been laging behind.
He understands his fate. One day he will leave the land behind – he will be gone, but the land will remain forever!

"Copyright Verona Pentony 2014  from 2nd collection Reflections from Time  see www.veronapentony.com