by George Wither (1588 - 1667)
Sweet baby, sleep; what ails my dear?
Language: English
Sweet baby, sleep; what ails my dear? What ails my darling thus to cry? Be still, my child, and lend thine ear To hear me sing thy lullaby. My pretty lamb, forbear to weep; Be still, my dear; sweet baby, sleep. Thou blessed soul, what canst thou fear? What thing to thee can mischief do? Thy God is now thy father dear; His holy spouse thy mother too. Sweet baby, then, forbear to weep; Be still, my dear; sweet baby, sleep. Whilst thus thy lullaby I sing, For thee great blessings ripening be; Thine eldest brother is a king, And hath a kingdom bought for thee. Sweet baby, then, forebear to weep, Be still, my dear; sweet baby, sleep. Sweet baby, sleep, and nothing fear, For whosoever thee offends, By thy protector threatened are, And God and angels are thy friends. Sweet baby, then, forbear to weep; Be still, my dear; sweet baby, sleep. When God with us was dwelling here, In little babes he took delight: Such innocents as then, my dear, Are ever precious in his sight. Sweet baby, then, forbear to weep; Be still, my dear; sweet baby, sleep. A little infant once was he, And Strength-in-Weakness then was laid Upon his virgin-mother's knee, That power to thee might be conveyed. Sweet baby, then, forbear to weep; Be still, my dear; sweet baby, sleep. In this thy frailty and thy need He friends and helpers doth prepare, Which thee shall cherish, clothe and feed, For of thy weal they tender are. Sweet baby, then, forbear to weep; Be still, my dear; sweet baby, sleep. The King of kings when he was born, Had not so much for outward case; By him such dressings were not worn, Nor suchlike swaddling-clothes as these. Sweet baby, then, forbear to weep; Be still, my dear; sweet baby, sleep. Within a manger lodged thy Lord, Where oxen lay and asses fed; Warm rooms we do to thee afford, An easy cradle or a bed. Sweet baby, then, forbear to weep; Be still, my dear; sweet baby, sleep. The wants that He did then sustain Have purchased wealth, my babe, for thee, And by His torments and His pain Thy rest and ease securëd be. Sweet baby, then, forbear to weep; Be still, my dear; sweet baby, sleep. Thou hast (yet more), to perfect this, A promise and an earnest got Of gaining everlasting bliss, Though thou, my babe, perceiv'st it not. Sweet baby, then, forbear to weep; Be still, my dear; sweet baby, sleep.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700, London, Chatto & Windus, 1914, pages 281-283.
Authorship:
- by George Wither (1588 - 1667), title 1: "Hallelujah", title 2: "Britain's sacred remembrancer", title 3: "A rocking hymn", written 1641 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893), "Sweet baby, sleep ! (Lullaby)", CG. 445 (1871) [ medium voice and piano ], London, Novello, Ewer & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "Wither's Rocking Hymn", op. 21 (1943) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2016-01-09
Line count: 66
Word count: 422