The sun does arise, And make happy the skies; The merry bells ring To welcome the Spring; The skylark and thrush, The birds of the bush, Sing louder around To the bells' cheerful sound; While our sports shall be seen On the echoing green. Old John, with white hair, Does laugh away care, Sitting under the oak, Among the old folk. They laugh at our play, And soon they all say, "Such, such were the joys When we all--girls and boys - In our youth-time were seen On the echoing green." Till the little ones, weary, No more can be merry: The sun does descend, And our sports have an end. Round the laps of their mothers Many sisters and brothers, Like birds in their nest, Are ready for rest, And sport no more seen On the darkening green.
Two Songs of William Blake
Song Cycle by William Busch (1901 - 1945)
1. The echoing green  [sung text not yet checked]
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The echoing green", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 3, first published 1789
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Lidy van Noordenburg) , "Het weerkaatsend groen", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
2. The shepherd  [sung text not yet checked]
How sweet is the Shepherd's sweet lot! From the morn to the evening he strays; He shall follow his sheep all the day, And his tongue shall be fillèd with praise. For he hears the lamb's innocent call, And he hears the ewe's tender reply; He is watchful [while]1 they are in peace, For they know when their Shepherd is nigh.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The shepherd", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 2, first published 1789
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El pastor", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
1 Cooke: "when"
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry