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by Charles George Douglas Roberts (1860 - 1943)

When the Sleepy Man comes with the dust...
Language: English 
When the Sleepy Man comes with the dust on his eyes, 
   (Oh, weary, my Dearie, so weary!)
He shuts up the earth, and he opens the skies.
   (So hush-a-by, weary my Dearie!)

He smiles through his fingers, and shuts up the sun; 
   (Oh, weary, my Dearie, so weary!)
The stars that he loves he lets out one by one.
   (So hush-a-by, weary my Dearie!)

He comes from the castles of Drowsy-boy Town;
   (Oh, weary, my Dearie, so weary!)
At the touch of his hand the tired eyelids fall down.
   (So hush-a-by, weary my Dearie!)

He comes with a murmur of dream in his wings;
   (Oh, weary, my Dearie, so weary!)
And whispers of mermaids and wonderful things.
   (So hush-a-by, weary my Dearie!)

Then the top is a burden, the bugle a bane;
   (Oh, weary, my Dearie, so weary!)
When one would be faring down Dream-a-way Lane.
   (So hush-a-by, weary my Dearie!)

When one would be wending in Lullaby Wherry,
   (Oh, weary, my Dearie, so weary!)
To Sleepy Man's Castle, by Comforting Ferry.
   (So hush-a-by, weary my Dearie!)

About the headline (FAQ)

First published in The Home Book of Verse, 1912

Confirmed with The Collected Poems of Sir Charles G.D. Roberts, edited by Desmond Pacey, Wolfville, NS: The Wombat Press, 1985, pages 176-177

Note: On the Cave-Browne-Cave manuscript there is a handwritten note from the poet that reads: "Of many settings of these verses, this seems to me very much the best, the most sympathetic and apt. Every best wish -- your sincere friend, Charles G.D. Roberts Jan 17 1927"

Text Authorship:

  • by Charles George Douglas Roberts (1860 - 1943), "Sleepy Man" [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 Colin Brumby (b. 1933), "When The Sleepy Man Comes", published 2000 [ unison chorus or solo voice, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Mabel P. (Phoebe?) Cave-Browne-Cave (1881 - 1958), "Sleepy Man" [ voice and piano ], unpublished [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Margaret Ruthven Lang (1867 - 1972), "Sleepy-man", op. 38 (Four songs) no. 2, published 1902 [ voice and piano ], Schmidt [sung text checked 1 time]

Research team for this page: Colin Brumby , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2005-01-16
Line count: 24
Word count: 177

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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