Poetry Friday: Giving Thanks

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.

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.

Refugee Thanksgiving


We thank thee, then, O Father,
For all things bright and good,
The seedtime and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food:
No gifts have we to offer
For all thy love imparts,
But that which thou desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.

By Matthias Claudius in German, translated by Jane Montgomery-Campbell.

And that’s simple enough, plain enough, to do without any commentary on my part. Happy Thanksgiving!

Poetry Friday this week is hosted by Julie Larios at The Drift Record.

3 thoughts on “Poetry Friday: Giving Thanks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *