Weary glean­er, whence com­est thou,
With emp­ty hands and cloud­ed brow?
Plodding along thy lone­ly way,
Tell me, where hast thou gleaned to­day?
Late I found a bar­ren field,
The har­vest past, my search re­vealed.
Others gold­en sheaves had gained,
Only stub­ble for me re­mained.

Refrain

Forth to the har­vest field away!
Gather your hand­fuls while you may;
All day long in the field ab­ide,
Gleaning close by the reap­ers’ side.

Careless glean­er, what hast thou here;
These fad­ed flow’rs and leaf­lets sere?
Hungry and thirs­ty, tell me, pray,
Where, oh, where hast thou gleaned to­day?
All day long in sha­dy bow’rs,
I’ve gai­ly sought earth’s fair­est flow’rs;
Now, alas! too late I see
All I’ve ga­thered is va­ni­ty.

Refrain

Burdened glean­er, thy sheaves I see;
Indeed thou must awea­ry be!
Singing along the home­ward way,
Glad one, where hast thou gleaned to­day?
Stay me not, till day is done
I’ve ga­thered hand­fuls one by one;
Here and there for me they fall,
Close by the reap’rs I’ve found them all.

Refrain