The angels are singing, above your bed;
They weary of trooping with the whimpering dead.
God's laughing in heaven to see you so good;
The Sailing Seven are gay with His mood.
I kiss you and kiss you, my pigeon my own.
Ah how I shall miss you when you have grown.
First published in
Scots Observer, April 1890; revised 1901
Composition:
Set to music by Stanley Grill (b. 1953), "A Cradle Song", copyright © 1987 [ soprano and string quartet ], from To a Child, no. 4, confirmed with an online score
Text Authorship:
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Una ninna nanna", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Ted Perry , Malcolm Wren
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 6
Word count: 56
Si chinano gli angeli, sul tuo lettino;
stanchi della compagnia dei lamentosi morti.
Sorride Dio nel cielo, vedendoti così buono;
i Sette Risplendenti, del suo umore son lieti.
Io ti bacio e ribacio, piccioncino mio amato
come mi mancherai quando sarai cresciuto.