Three Songs

by Herbert Norman Howells (1892 - 1983)

2. An Old Man's Lullaby
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
Smiles awake you when you rise:
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby,
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.

Care is heavy, therefore sleep you;
You are care and care must keep you:
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby:
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

3. Up on their brooms  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Up on their brooms the Witches stream,
Crooked and black in the crescent's gleam;
One foot high, and one foot low,
Bearded, cloaked, and cowled, they go,
'Neath Charlie's Wain they twitter and tweet,
And away they swarm 'neath the Dragon's feet,
With a whoop and a flutter they swing and sway,
And surge pell-mell down the Milky Way.
[Betwixt]1 the legs of the glittering Chair
They hover and squeak in the empty air.
Then round they swoop past the glimmering Lion
To where Sirius barks behind huge Orion;
Up, then, and over to wheel amain,
Under the silver, and home again.

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View original text (without footnotes)
1 Carwithen: "Between"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 166