作者名称 国旗国籍

Shamus

EN

CN

2020.05.23 11:30

Song of the Shirt by Thomas Hood.

Part 1 of 6.

With fingers

weary and worn,
With eyelids heavy and red,
A woman sat in unwomanly rags,
Plying her needle and thread—
Stitch! stitch! stitch!
In poverty, hunger, and dirt,
And still with a voice of dolorous pitch
She sang the "Song of the Shirt."

"Work! work! work!
While the rooster is crowing aloof!
And work—work—work,
Till the stars shine through the roof!
It's O! to be a slave
Along with the barbarous Turk,
Where woman has never a soul to save,
If this is Christian work!
79 8

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Comments

  • Shamus 2020.05.23 11:31

    EN
    CN

    The following information about this poem is from Wikipedia: It was written in honour of a Mrs. Biddell, a widow and seamstress living in wretched conditions. In what was, at that time, common practice, Mrs. Biddell sewed trousers and shirts in her home using materials given to her by her employer for which she was forced to give a £2 deposit. In a desperate attempt to feed her starving infants, Mrs. Biddell pawned the clothing she had made, thus accruing a debt she could not pay. Mrs. Biddell, whose first name has not been recorded, was sent to a workhouse, and her ultimate fate is unknown; however, her story became a catalyst for those who actively opposed the wretched conditions of England’s working poor, who often spent seven days a week labouring under inhumane conditions, barely managing to survive and with no prospect for relief. Thank you for listening. 🙏💔
  • Samim 2020.05.23 11:33

    HI
    EN

    Nice👍
  • 乱科 2020.05.23 11:34

    CN
    EN

    i like
  • kate 2020.05.23 12:07

    RU
    EN

    I really like the way you recite it. You read it so calm and soulful. This is a very moving poem. It is so dreadful that working poor had to live in such harsh conditions. Unfortunately, even nowadays a big part of the population work and live in the same inhuman conditions.
  • babycicili 2020.05.23 12:57

    CN
    KR

    Your pronunciation sounds very charming
  • Shamus 2020.05.23 13:23

    EN
    CN

    @kate Thank you. And yes you are right. The poem is 177 years old and much of its contents unfortunately remain applicable to today's working poor.
  • Shamus 2020.05.23 13:23

    EN
    CN

    @babycicili @乱科 @Samim 🙏
  • Hanking 2020.05.24 10:11

    CN
    KR
    JP
    EN

    RU

    DE

    太nice 了,

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