by John Phillip (flourished 1561)

The Nurse's Song
Language: English 
Our translations:  FRE GER
Lullaby baby,
Lullaby baby,
Thy nurse will tend thee as duly as may be.
Lullaby baby!

Be still, my sweett sweeting, no longer do cry;
Sing lullaby baby,  lullaby baby.
Let dolours be fleeting, I fancy thee, I ...
To rock and to lull thee I will not delay me.

Lullaby baby,
Lullabylabylaby baby,
Thy nurse will tend thee as duly as may be
Lullabylabylaby baby

The gods be thy shield and comfort in need!
The gods be thy shield and comfort in need!
Sing Lullaby baby, 
Lullabylaby baby

They give thee good fortune and well for to speed,
And this to desire ... I will not delay me.
This to desire ... I will not delay me.

Lullaby baby,
Lullabylaby baby,
Thy nurse will tend thee as duly as may be.
Lullabylabylabylaby baby.

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • FRE French (Français) (David K. Smythe) , title 1: "La chanson de la nourisse", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , title 1: "Lied des Kindermädchens", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Yvonne Helander

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 23
Word count: 131