On A Winter’s Day It Happened So

 On A Winter’s Day It Happened So 

Leather & Vaughan Williams' Twelve Traditional Carols (a version ... Ester Smith [collected in 1912]).' I also need to look up “The Folklore of Herefordshire” by Ella Mary Leather. 

The original lyrics are rather mean spirited. I got to grow up going to churches that spoke of what some might call “hippie Jesus” while the inspiration for the original lyrics clearly came from a more judgmental, doom and gloom tradition’s portrayal Jesus. 

On a winter's day it happened so  

Down in the meadows, soon to snow  

As he was ploughing, all on so fast  

A neighbor came to help with the task  

  

"oh man o man why do you plough,  

So hard upon this chilly day?"  

The farmer answered him with great speed  

"for to plough this day I have great need"  

  

His arms were tired through and through  

He felt so weak, he'd break in two  

The ground was hard to cleave for him  

So his neighbor kindly Joined on in  

  

His family at a banquet eats  

His beasts and cattle have morsels sweet  

Thanks to the neighbor who came to stay  

For ploughing on a winter's day  

  

Thanks to the neighbor who came to stay  

For ploughing on a winter's day