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by Emily Pauline Johnson (1861 - 1913)

The Birds’ Lullaby
Language: English 
Sing to us, cedars; the twilight is creeping
    With shadowy garments, the wilderness   through;
All day we have carolled, and now would be sleeping,
    So echo the anthems we warbled to you;
               While we swing, swing,
               And your branches sing,
        And we drowse to your dreamy whispering.                                  

Sing to us, cedars; the night-wind is sighing,
    Is wooing, is pleading, to hear you reply;
And here in your arms we are restfully lying,
    And longing to dream to your soft lullaby;
               While we swing, swing,
               And your branches sing.
        And we drowse to your dreamy whispering.                    

Sing to us, cedars; your voice is so lowly,
    Your breathing so fragrant, your branches so strong;
Our little nest-cradles are swaying so slowly,
    While zephyrs are breathing their slumberous song.
               And we swing, swing,
               While your branches sing,
        And we drowse to your dreamy whispering.

Text Authorship:

  • by Emily Pauline Johnson (1861 - 1913) [author's text not yet checked 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 Katherine Pukinskis (b. 1986), "The Birds’ Lullaby", 2024, first performed 2024 [ voice and piano ], from The Sidereal Day, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-09-18
Line count: 21
Word count: 141

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