"We Plough the Fields and Scatter" is a popular harvest hymn, a translation of the German poem "Wir pflügen und wir streuen" by Matthias Claudius. The music was composed by Johann Abraham Peter Schulz, who was Kapellmeister to the Danish court. It first appeared in 1782 in the second volume of his collection "Lieder im Volkston" (Songs in the Folk Style). The hymn is traditionally sung at harvest festival services and is a staple in Christian hymnals, celebrating gratitude for the earth's bounty.