by John Addington Symonds (1840 - 1893)
Sleep, baby, sleep! the Mother sings
Language: English
Sleep, baby, sleep! the Mother sings: Heaven's angels kneel and fold their wings. Sleep, baby, sleep! With swathes of scented hay Thy bed By Mary's hand at eve was spread. Sleep, baby, sleep! At midnight came the shepherds, they Whom seraphs wakened by the way. Sleep, baby, sleep! And three kings from the East afar Ere dawn came guided by Thy star. Sleep, baby, sleep! They brought Thee gifts of gold and gems, Pure orient pearls, rich diadems. Sleep, baby, sleep! But Thou who liest slumbering there, Art King of Kings, earth, ocean, air. Sleep, baby, sleep! Sleep, baby, sleep! the shepherds sing: Through heaven, through earth, hosannas ring. Sleep, baby, sleep.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesFirst published in English Illustrated Magazine, December 1891
Text Authorship:
- by John Addington Symonds (1840 - 1893), "A Christmas Lullaby" [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 Margaret Ruthven Lang (1867 - 1972), "Christmas Lullaby", op. 8 no. 2 [ voice and piano ], from Three Songs of the East, no. 2, Schmidt [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Normand Lockwood (b. 1906), "A Lullaby for Christmas", published 1937 [ SSAATTB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "A Christmas Lullaby", op. 245 (1949) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by (James) Healey Willan (1880 - 1968), "A Christmas Lullaby", published 1950 [ tenor or baritone and SSA chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-28
Line count: 21
Word count: 112