Nursery rhymes based on proverbs are ideal to teach kids valuable life lessons. They imbibe these lessons into their characters and become good humans in the future.
This poem starts with a Scottish proverb.
It explains that only dreaming will not help one succeed or achieve something.
If Wishes Were Horses Poem Lyrics and Meaning
Have you ever wished for something special that is yet to be fulfilled? Are you wondering what the title of the poem means? This is a unique poem based on a Scottish proverb that explains that wishes only come true when one works hard to achieve them. It is a rhyme that explains the value of dedication and hard work to the kids. Let us find out the lyrics and meaning of this poem.
Rhymes with Proverbs
Rhymes with proverbs are composed to deliver valuable life lessons to the readers. If Wishes Were Horses poem is about a proverb used during the 18th Century in Scotland. It explains that only wishing for something will not let a man achieve it.
This type of small poem is ideal to teach valuable lessons to young minds. They will find these rhymes very educational and true even in the contemporary era.
If Wishes Were Horses Full Poem
If wishes were horses
Beggars would ride:
If turnips were watches
I would wear one by my side.
And if if’s and and’s were pots and pans,
The tinker would never work!
The first two lines of this poem are the Scottish proverb. The rest of the poem also explains the inner meaning of this poem.
Beggar on Horse
If Wishes Were Horses Meaning
This poem is one of the best rhymes composed to deliver something that kids should learn. In most cases, these are proverbs that carry a valuable lesson.
This poem is about hard work and wishes. People make wishes but don’t want to work on them. They wish for bigger things but show the littlest efforts to make them come true.
This rhyme has been composed to explain how big efforts can deliver the best results. It explains that if wishes were horses that would come when called, even beggars can own them. It depicts that owning horses in that era was a luxury.
Similarly, if turnips were watches, everyone would have had one in his pocket. It means that a watch is pricier than a turnip. To get one, one has to work very hard and accumulate a fortune. This is why all the people are not seen wearing watches. Only those who have worked hard can afford them.
A Man Wishing for Something
The last two lines of this poem are a little hard to understand. The word tinker means a smith that mends pots, pans and other metallic utensils. The last but one line depicts ‘ifs’ and ‘ands’ as pots and pans. If talking too much and arguing would have mended the pans and pots, a tinker would not have had to work ever in his life. These two lines explain that people who waste time on words will not be able to achieve anything.
Tips for Parents
Explain the proverb ‘If Wishes were Horses then Dreamers would ride’ first to the kids. Then, read the rhyme and explain the meaning of it. It is for kids who have just crossed the kindergarten level. This rhyme has a hidden life lesson in it. Explain this lesson and help them to memorise it. Kids will learn the value of hard work and the efforts taken to make a wish come true.
FAQs on If Wishes Were Horses Beggars Would Ride
1. What is the poet comparing horses with?
The poet is comparing horses with wishes and dreams. People wish and dream big things. They wish for something they don’t have. The poet explains that if wishes were horses then anyone could have afforded them. Wishing is easy but achieving one needs effort.
2. Why does a tinker not have to work?
According to the poet, if ifs, buts and ands would have pans and pots then no one would have needed a tinker to get such utensils. A tinker would have gone jobless.
3. What do we learn from this rhyme?
From this rhyme, we learn that only wishing for things will not make them a reality. We need to work hard and achieve them.
Nursery rhymes based on proverbs are ideal to teach kids valuable life lessons. They imbibe these lessons into their characters and become good humans in the future.
This poem starts with a Scottish proverb.
It explains that only dreaming will not help one succeed or achieve something.
