'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free Writer(s): H. H. Hopson<br>Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.comSimple Gifts Lyrics
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our
delight,
Till by turning, turning we come 'round right
'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be
our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.
'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be fair,
'Tis a gift to wake and breathe the morning air.
And each day we walk on the path that we choose,
'Tis a gift we pray we never shall lose.
When true liberty is found,
By fear and by hate we will no more be bound.
In love and in light we will find our new
birth
And in peace and freedom, redeem the Earth.
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our
delight,
Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.
Loading LoadingMore from Simple Gifts
You Might Like
FAQs for Simple Gifts
Printer-friendly version
Simple Gifts Lyrics
Joseph Brackett (1797–1882)
Shaker dancing song
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity
is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.
Later, additional or alternative verses:
'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,
'Tis the
gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of "me",
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.[
Additional alternative verses:
The Earth is our mother and the fullness thereof,
Her streets, her slums, as well as stars above.
Salvation is here where we laugh, where we cry,
Where we seek and love, where we live and die.
When true liberty is found,
By fear and by hate we will no more be bound.
In love and in light we will find our new birth
And in peace and freedom, redeem the Earth.
Yet another alternative verse:
'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be fair,
'Tis a gift to wake and breathe the morning air.
And each day we walk on the path that we choose,
'Tis a gift we pray we never shall lose.
Score:
Simple gifts
Language: English
Available translation(s): CHI
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free 'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be And when we find ourselves in the place just right 'Twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed To turn, turn will be our delight 'Till by turning, turning we come round right. 'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free 'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be And when we find ourselves in the place just right 'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , Shaker folk song, from the period 1837 to 1847 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990), "Simple gifts", 1950, first
performed 1950 [voice and piano or orchestra], from Old American Songs, First Set, no. 4. [
text verified 1 time
]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CHI Chinese (汉语 / 漢語) (Yen-Chiang Che) , title 1: "簡樸之恩賜", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 113