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I woke before the morning, I was happy all the day, I never said an ugly word, but smiled and stuck to play. And now at last the sun is going down behind the wood, And I am very happy, for I know that I've been good. My bed is waiting cool and fresh, with linen smooth and fair, And I must off to sleep again, and not forget my prayer. I know that, till tomorrow I shall see the sun arise, No ugly dream shall fright my mind, no ugly sight my eyes, But slumber hold me tightly till I waken in the dawn, And hear the thrushes singing in the lilacs round the lawn.
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Text Authorship:
- by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894), "A good boy", appears in A Child's Garden of Verses, first published 1885 [author's text not yet checked 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 Homer Newton Bartlett (1845 - 1920), "A good boy", published 1897 [ voice and piano ], from The Stevenson Song-Book [sung text not yet checked]
- by Thomas Crawford , "A good boy", published 1915 [ voice and piano ], from Songs with Music from "A Child's Garden of Verses", no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Reynaldo Hahn (1874 - 1947), "A good boy", 1915, published 1917 [ medium voice and piano ], from Five Little Songs, no. 5, Éd. Heugel, also set in French (Français) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Roger Quilter (1877 - 1953), "A good child", op. 5 no. 1, published 1914, rev. 1945 [ voice and piano ], from Four Child Songs, no. 1, Chappell [sung text checked 1 time]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "A Good Boy", op. 100 (1946) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Teresa del Riego (c1876 - 1968), "Sleepsin-by", published 1909 [ voice and piano ], from Children's pictures [sung text not yet checked]
- by Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson (1931 - 2003), "A good boy", published 1968 [ high voice and piano ], from From a child's garden, no. 11 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Maurice Léna (1859 - 1928) ; composed by Reynaldo Hahn.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Sylvain Labartette) , "Un gentil garçon", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 116
Je me suis réveillé avant le matin, j'ai été content toute la journée, Je n'ai jamais dit un gros mot mais ai été souriant et tranquille pour jouer ; Et maintenant, enfin, le soleil se couche derrière le bois Et je suis très heureux de savoir que j'ai été gentil. Mon lit m'attend douillet et frais avec des draps doux et agréables Et je me dois de me coucher sans oublier ma prière. Je sais que demain, je verrai le soleil se lever; Aucun vilain rêve ne troublera mon esprit, ni vilaine image mes yeux. Mais le sommeil me tiendra fermement jusqu'à ce que je m'éveille à l'aube Et que j'entende les grives chanter dans les lilas près de la pelouse.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2007 by Sylvain Labartette, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in English by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894), "A good boy", appears in A Child's Garden of Verses, first published 1885
This text was added to the website: 2007-11-15
Line count: 20
Word count: 120