O, hush thee, my [babie]1, thy sire was a knight,
Thy mother a lady, both [lovely]2 and bright;
The woods and the glens, from the [towers]3 which we see,
They are all belonging, dear [babie]1, to thee.
    [O ho ro, i ri ri, cadul gu lo.]4
 
O, fear not the bugle, [though]5 loudly it blows,
It calls but the [warders]6 that guard thy repose;
Their bows would be bended, their blades would be red,
Ere the step of a foeman draws near to thy bed.
    [O ho ro, i ri ri, cadul gu lo.]4
 
O, hush thee, my [babie]1, the time soon will come,
When thy sleep shall be broken [by]7 trumpet and drum;
Then hush thee, my [darling]1, take rest while you may,
For strife comes with manhood, and waking with day.
    [O ho ro, i ri ri, cadul gu lo.]4

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Gade: "baby"
² Sullivan: "gentle"
³ Gade: "tow’r"; Sullivan: "tow’rs"
⁴ Gade: "O sleep, o sleep!"; omitted by Sullivan.
⁵ Gade: "tho’"
⁶ Gade: "wand’rers" (possible typo)
⁷ Gade: "with"

Text Authorship:

• by Walter Scott, Sir (1771 - 1832), "Lullaby of an infant chief", appears in Guy Mannering or The Astrologer , first published anonymously, first published 1815 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Granville Ransome Bantock, Sir (1868 - 1946), "Cradle song", published 1945 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Niels Wilhelm Gade (1817 - 1890), "O hush thee, my baby!", op. 9 no. 4, published 1845 [ vocal duet for 2 sopranos with piano ], from Lieder im Volkston [first published as Neun Lieder im Volkston], no. 4, Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel, also set in German (Deutsch), also set in French (Français) [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Cyril Meir Scott (1879 - 1970), "Scotch lullabye", op. 57 (Three Songs) no. 3 (c1908), published 1910 [ voice and piano ], London: Elkin [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Arthur Sullivan, Sir (1842 - 1900), "O hush thee, my babie", 1867 [ chorus ], partsong [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in French (Français), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Niels Wilhelm Gade.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    
• Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876) , "Wiegenlied für den Sohn eines schottischen Häuptlings" ; composed by Carl Evers, Niels Wilhelm Gade, Adolf Jensen.
  • Go to the text.
    

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2007-11-22
Line count: 15
Word count: 158

Schlaf, Söhnchen! dein Vater war eisenumhüllt
Ein Ritter! deine Mutter war lieblich und mild!
Vom Thurme sieh' nieder: des Waldes Revier,
Die Schluchten, die Berge, sie prangen nur dir!1
 
O, fürchte das Horn nicht, wie laut es auch dröhnt;
Den Wächtern nur, die dich beschützen, es tönt;
Sie spannen den Bogen, ihr Schwert raucht von Blut,
Eh' feindlich ein Bube dir Leides anthut.1
 
Schlaf Söhnchen! die Zeit kommt, wo panzerbedeckt
Das Horn und die Trommel vom Schlummer dich weckt,
Drum schlafe, mein Liebling, noch darfst du's ja thun;
Als Mann mußt du kämpfen, kannst nimmermehr ruhn!1