You must have heard the phrase “If wishes were horses…” when people indulge in wishful thinking about ideal things and situations. The complete phrase is, If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. This means, that for wishing for something, one doesn’t need to have any practical backing. Even beggars, or people without resources to achieve their wishes, can wish for anything they want.
This commonly used phrase comes from a popular rhyme that is more than 400 years old. If wishes were horses song can be dated back to the year 1605, when it was first published. Let us learn the rhyme with full lyrics and the meaning behind it:
Lyrics of If Wishes Were Horses In English
Let us take a look at the poem If Wishes Were Horses
If wishes were horses,
beggars would ride.
If turnips were watches,
I’d wear one by my side.
If “ifs” and “ands” were pots and pans,
There’d be no work for tinkers’ hands!
Short version
If Wishes Were Horses can also be sung in a shorter version. Here it is:
If wishes were horses,
beggars would ride.
If turnips were bayonets,
I’d wear one by my side!
What Will Your Child Learn from If Wishes Were Horses?
The rhyme If Wishes Were Horses has a very important lesson to learn for children. It teaches kids that merely making wishes is not enough. If just by thinking about future goals one could achieve success, even the most poor people would not lack anything. Only when you combine your plans with hardwork and talent can you achieve success.
Theme of If Wishes Were Horses
The rhyme If Wishes Were Horses is based on the hard truth of life that the ones without means and resources are only left wish wishes instead of achievements and accomplishments. It also has a motivational message that if one wants to accomplish something in life, one must stop only wishing for things and invest some hardwork into making the wish a reality.
Wishes come easily, but achievements come only with work and resources. The similes used in the rhyme, wishes as horses, turnips as watches, and ifs and ands as pots and pans all hint towards the ease of having wishes and making excuses, as opposed to the difficulty of actually working hard for it your dreams.
Rhyming Scheme of If Wishes Were Horses
The rhyming pattern of If Wishes Were Horses is ABABCC.
Words That Your Child Will Learn From If Wishes Were Horses
Here are some new words that your child will learn from this rhyme
Nouns
- Wishes
- Horses
- Betters
- Turnips
- Watches
- Pots
- Pans
- Tinkers
- Hands
Verbs
- Were
- Ride
- Wear
Suggested Activities
Make your child understand this poem through fun activities
1. Draw What You Read
- Ask your child to draw simple sketches of everything mentioned in the rhyme, like a horse, a beggar, a turnip etc.
- If your child is not yet adept at drawing well, you can ask give them small picture cut-outs of all the objects, and ask them to pick out the correct picture to make a collage.
- Take a stencil and write the entire poem around these images, and you have a beautiful poster ready!
2. Proverb Journal
- Children get to learn many new phrases and proverbs through such rhymes.
- At this point, it will be a great idea for them to have a proverb journal of their own where they can write down some of the most interesting idioms and proverbs that they learn.
- Start the journal with “If Wishes Were Horses, Beggars Would Ride.” and keep adding to phrases as you read more.
FAQs
1. When was this rhyme written?
The rhyme If Wishes Were Horses was written way back in 1605.
2. Who wrote If Wishes Were Horses?
The original writer of the poem is not known but the phrase was first published in the 1600s in a collection of Scottish proverbs.
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