"The fragrant swards, while the night-breezes murmured..."

-Adventure

sward.

[swôrd]

NOUN

swards (plural noun)

a spread of short grass.

the upper layer of soil, especially when covered with grass, the hide of the land.

ORIGIN

Old English sweard ‘skin.’ The sense ‘upper layer of soil’ developed in late Middle English (at first in such phrases as sward of the earth).