THE BILBERRY MOORS

(by John Swain, lyrics; & Jack Rutter, tune)

Come! will you not go where the bilberries grow, 
On their beautiful bushes of green ; 
Whose ruby bells smiled in the desolate wild, 
On the far away moorland scene ? 
	Fair friends,
	On the far away moorland scene ?
	
We are up and away at the dawn of the day, 
Young cottagers moving in scores, 
Ere the dawn of the day we are up and away --
Away to the bilberry moors. 
	Fair friends,
	Away to the bilberry moors.

With basket and tin, with provision therein, 
And light of heart, ready for song ; 
Like the birds of the air, in our freedom from care, 
Right merrily move we along, 
	Fair friends,
	Right merrily move we along,

Nor future, nor past, bringeth shadow or blast, 
And what if the bright call us boors ? 
We need no police to look after the peace, 
As we march to the bilberry moors. 
	Fair friends,
	As we march to the bilberry moors.

The wealthy man's wall cannot bind what we call // (bounded not)
The common, and bilberry ground ; 
His broad-acred lot -- everything that he's got -- // (nay, we covet it not)
The wealthy took all that they bound !  // (Ye .. keep .. ye)
	Fair friends,
	The wealthy keep all that they bound !

But the bilberry blue oweth nothing to you -- 
It groweth for the rich and poor ; 
Oh ! mean were the might that would question the right 
To roam on the bilberry moors. 
	Fair friends,
	To roam on the bilberry moors.

Ye free English hills, with your purest of rills, 
Your purple, and berries of blue, 
How stern was the tone, that your solitude lone, 
In the winterly tempest-time knew ; 
	Fair friends,
	In the winterly tempest-time knew ;
	
But listen to-day for as merry a lay 
As ever was sung out of doors -- 
The warble of glee, the delight of the free, 
The song of the bilberry moors. 
	Fair friends,
	The song of the bilberry moors.
	
We need no police to look after the peace, 
As we march to the bilberry moors. 
	Fair friends,
	As we march to the bilberry moors.
The warble of glee, the delight of the free, 
The song of the bilberry moors. 
	Fair friends,
	The song of the bilberry moors.

	

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