Piping down the valleys wild, Piping songs of pleasant glee, On a cloud I saw a child, And he laughing said to me: "Pipe a song about a lamb." So I piped with merry chear. "Piper, pipe that song again." So I piped: he wept to hear. "Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe; Sing thy songs of happy chear." So I sang the same again, While he wept with joy to hear. "Piper, sit thee down and write In a book, that all may read." So he vanished from my sight; And I pluck'd a hollow reed. And I made a rural pen, And I stain'd the water clear, And I wrote my happy songs Every child may joy to hear.
Four Blake Songs
Song Cycle by Karl Richard Korte (b. 1928)
1. Piping down the valleys  [sung text not yet checked]
Text Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Introduction", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 1, first published 1789
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- RUS Russian (Русский) [singable] (Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov) , "Вступление", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
2. Infant Joy  [sung text not yet checked]
"I have no name: I am but two days old." What shall I call thee? "I happy am, Joy is my name." Sweet joy befall thee! Pretty Joy! Sweet Joy, but two days old. Sweet Joy I call thee: Thou dost smile, I sing the while, Sweet joy befall thee!
Text Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Infant Joy", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 17, first published 1789
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- RUS Russian (Русский) [singable] (Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov) , "Дитя-радость", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
3. A cradle song  [sung text not yet checked]
Sweet dreams, form a shade [O'er]1 my lovely infant's head, Sweet dreams of pleasant streams, By happy, silent, moony beams. Sweet Sleep, with soft down Weave thy brows an infant crown; Sweet Sleep, angel mild, Hover o'er my happy child. Sweet smiles, in the night Hover over my delight. Sweet smiles, mother's [smiles]2, All the livelong night [beguiles]3. Sweet moans, dovelike sighs, Chase not slumber from [thy]4 eyes! Sweet [moans]5, sweeter [smiles]2, All the dovelike moans [beguiles]3. Sleep, sleep, happy child: All creation slept and smiled. Sleep, sleep, happy sleep, While o'er thee [thy]6 mother weep. Sweet babe, in thy face Holy image I can trace; Sweet babe, once like thee Thy maker lay and wept for me, Wept for me, for thee, for all, When he was an infant small. Thou his image ever see, Heavenly face that smiles on thee -- Smiles on thee, on me, on all, Who became an infant small, Infant smiles are his own smiles; Heaven and earth to peace beguiles.
Text Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "A Cradle Song", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 11, first published 1789
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View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Blake: The Complete Poems, ed. by W. H. Stevenson, Third Edition, Routledge, 2007, pages 61-62.
1 Carmichael: "Round"2 Baxter, Moore, Thomas: "smile"
3 Baxter, Moore, Thomas: "beguile"
4 Baxter, Carmichael, Moore, Thomas: "thine"
5 Baxter, Carmichael, Moore, Thomas: "moans"
6 Baxter: "doth"
Researcher for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
4. Spring  [sung text not yet checked]
Sound the Flute! Now [it's]1 mute. Birds delight Day and Night. Nightingale In the dale, Lark in Sky, 2 Merrily, Merrily Merrily to welcome in the Year. Little Boy, Full of Joy; Little Girl, Sweet and small. Cock does crow, So do you. Merry voice Infant noise Merrily Merrily to welcome in the Year. Little Lamb Here I am, Come and [lick My white neck]3. Let me pull Your soft Wool. Let me kiss Your soft face. Merrily Merrily [we]4 welcome in the Year.
Text Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Spring", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 15, first published 1789
See other settings of this text.
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with William Blake, Songs of Innocence, 1789.
1 MacNutt: "'tis"2 Dougherty adds: "Out of sight"
3 MacNutt: "play/ Hours away"
4 MacNutt: "to"
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]