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by William Blake (1757 - 1827)
Translation Singable translation © by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020)
Piping down the valleys wild
Language: English
Our translations: RUS
Piping down the valleys wild, Piping songs of pleasant glee, On a cloud I saw a child, And he laughing said to me: "Pipe a song about a lamb." So I piped with merry chear. "Piper, pipe that song again." So I piped: he wept to hear. "Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe; Sing thy songs of happy chear." So I sang the same again, While he wept with joy to hear. "Piper, sit thee down and write In a book, that all may read." So he vanished from my sight; And I pluck'd a hollow reed. And I made a rural pen, And I stain'd the water clear, And I wrote my happy songs Every child may joy to hear.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Introduction", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 1, first published 1789 [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 Jean Mary Anderson (b. 1939), "Reeds of Innocence", 1997, from Two Songs for Alto & Organ, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Florence Newell Barbour (1867 - 1946), "The piper", published c1919 [ voice and piano ], from Among the Little Folks, no. 3, Boston : Arthur P. Schmidt Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elaine Louise Bearer (b. 1947), "Introd.", 1974 [ SAB chorus a cappella ], from Three Settings from William Blake's Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Florentia Bernani , "Piping down the valleys wild", published 1892 [ duet for 2 female voices ], from Six Duets for Ladies' Voices, no. 1, London : Ransford & Sons [sung text not yet checked]
- by Phillip Thomas Bezanson (1916 - 1975), "The piper", published 1959, from Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Bolcom (b. 1938), "Introduction", 1956-81 [ solo voices, chorus, orchestra ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rutland Boughton (1878 - 1960), "Piper's song", op. 34b (Two Duets) no. 1 (1912), published 1924 [ vocal duet with piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Grace Bell Branning (b. 1912), "Piping down the Valleys Wild" [sung text not yet checked]
- by (William) Havergal Brian (1876 - 1972), "Piping down the valleys wild", 1914, published 1929 [ unison chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Frederick Broadhead (1883 - ?), "The piper", published 1936 [ unison chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Christopher Roland Brown (b. 1943), "Piping down the valleys wild", 1962 [ soprano, clarinet and piano ], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Vincent Henry Palmer Caillard, Sir (1856 - 1930), "Introduction", published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from The Songs of Innocence of William Blake, no. 1, London : Novello, Ewer & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mary Grant Carmichael (1851 - 1935), "Introduction to the Songs of Innocence", published 1876 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stephen Chatman (b. 1950), "Piping down the valleys wild", 1984 [ SATB chorus and oboe (or flute, or violin, or clarinet) ], from There is sweet music here, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Grace (Cotton) Clough-Leighter (b. 1885), "The piper", published c1914 [ three-part women's chorus with piano ], partsong [sung text not yet checked]
- by Dulcie Cohen , "Piping down the valleys wild", published c1934 [ 2-part women's chorus and piano ], partsong [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arnold Atkinson Cooke (1906 - 2005), "Piping down the valleys wild", 1956, published 1960 [ soprano, clarinet in A, piano ], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Felix Corbett (1861 - 1940), "Piping down the valleys wild", published 1889 [ high voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean Coulthard (1908 - 2000), "Piping down the valleys wild", 1917 [ high voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Charlton Crawford (b. 1931), "Introd. (Piping down the valleys wild)", published 1965 [ soprano, piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Norman Curtis (b. 1933), "Introd.", c1959 [ voice and piano ], from William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by James D'Angelo (b. 1939), "The piper", 1971, first performed 1974 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Michael Diack (1869 - 1946), "The piper", published c1909 [ medium voice and piano ], Glasgow : Paterson, Sons & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Henry Diercks (b. 1927), "Piping", published c1962 [ voice and piano ], from About a Lamb : Four Poems by Blake, no. 1, Bryn Mawr : Tritone Press (Presser) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert James Dvorak (b. 1919), "Piping down the valleys", published c1953, copyright © 1947 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], NY : C. Fischer [sung text not yet checked]
- by Osian Gwynn Ellis (b. 1928), "The piper", 1974 [ voice, children's chorus, and harp ], from Penillion Suite, no. 1, note: interwoven with the traditional Welsh melody "Cainc y Datgeiniaid" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Leonard Enns (b. 1948), "Introduction", 1974, published c1983, rev. 1978, first performed 1979 [ SATB chorus, piano, and optional flute ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1, Waterloo, Ont. : Waterloo Music Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean Fordell , "Piping down the valleys", published c1936 [ voice and piano ], London : Boosey & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Donato D. Fornuto (b. 1931), "Piping down the valleys wild", published c1973 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence and Experience, no. 1, NY : Harold Branch Music Publishing Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Derek Foster , "Introduction ", 1973-5, first performed 1975 [ contralto, clarinet, and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Frandsen (b. 1956), "Introd.", 1984 [ soprano and guitar ], from Songs of Innocence I, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Earl Robert George (b. 1924), "Introd.", published c1956 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1, Evanston, IL : Summy-Birchard Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Wallace Gilchrist (1846 - 1916), "The piper", published c1901 [ voice and piano ], Boston : C. C. Birchard, in William L. Tomlins, ed. Laurel Song Book [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ole Carsten Green (b. 1922), "Introduction", op. 27b no. 1 (1973) [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Harold Walter Greenhill (1902 - ?), "The piper", published c1936 [ 2-part chorus for equal voices and piano ], London : Curwen [sung text not yet checked]
- by Geoffrey Gwyther , "Piping down the valleys wild ", published 1917 [ medium voice and piano ], from Seven Poems from Blake's "Songs of Innocence", no. 1, London, The Poetry Bookshop [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred Matthew Hale (1875 - 1960), "Piping down the valleys wild ", op. 29 no. 3, published 1913 [ voice, piano, and violin obbligato ], from Five Songs, no. 3, London : A. Lengnick [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "Piping down the valleys wild", op. 158 (A Set of Five Songs) no. 1 (1945?) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frank Haworth (1905 - 1993), "Reeds of Innocence", 1956 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Christian Victor Hely-Hutchinson (1901 - 1947), "Piping down the valleys wild", published c1928 [ SA chorus and piano? ], from Five Songs of Innocence, no. 1, London : Oxford University Press [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gary Michael Higginson (b. 1952), "Piping down the valleys wild ", op. 33 no. 1 (1977), first performed 1979 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Seven Songs of William Blake, Set I, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred Francis Hill (1870 - 1960), "Piping down the valleys wild ", published c1936 [ SSA trio a cappella ], Melbourne : Allans & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Hinton (1869 - 1941), "Piping down the valleys wild " [ voice and piano ], from Four Songs, 2nd Set, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joseph Holbrooke (1878 - 1958), "Piping down the valleys wild ", op. 130 no. 1 (1934), published 1934, from Songs of Innocence, no. 1, London : Modern Music Library [sung text not yet checked]
- by Helen C. Howarth , "The piper", published c1909 [ medium voice and piano ], from 7 songs of William Blake, no. 1, London ; New York : Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Herbert Norman Howells (1892 - 1983), "Piping down the valleys wild", published c1939 [ SA chorus ], London : Boosey & Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
- by Chester Edward Ide (1878 - 1944), "Song of Innocence : Blake's Introduction set to music", 1919 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Chester Edward Ide (1878 - 1944), "Introd.", c1928 [ vocal duet for treble voices a cappella ], from Songs of Innocence -- Eight Poems by William Blake, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gertrude E. (Hutchinson) Inness (1895 - ?), "Piper's song", published 1956 [ unison chorus and piano ], Oakville, Ont. : Frederick Harris Music Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul A. Irby , "The piper", published c1928 [ voice and piano ], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 3, London, Wellington Music Publ. Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by (John) Michael Jacques (b. 1944), "The piper", 1966 [ soprano voices and piano with optional accompaniment for strings, 2 clarinets, and piano ], from Six Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bernard Johnson , "The piper", published c1907 [ 2-part chorus with piano ], from Two-Part Songs for Treble Voices, no. 5, London : Vincent Music Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilfred Josephs (b. 1927), "The piper", 1972 [ satb chorus and optional junior chorus and orchestra with optional vibraphone ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Richard Korte (b. 1928), "Piping down the valleys", published 1966 [ SSA chorus and piano? ], from Four Blake Songs, no. 1, Boston : E. C. Schirmer [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Bamford Lane (1933 - 2004), "Introd.", 1974, first performed 1974 [ SSA chorus and strings ], from Some Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by André Laporte (b. 1931), "Introduction ", 1979, published c1983 [ SSSS chorus a cappella ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1, Kontich, Belgium : De notenboom [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Thomas) Timothy Lenk (b. 1952), "Introduction (Piping down the valleys wild)", c1977 [ tenor, bass-baritone, flute (piccolo), clarinet, bass clarinet, and violin ], from Songs of Innocence and Experience, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franco Leoni (1864 - 1949), "The happy piper", published 1923 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of the Happy Piper: Five Little Songs, no. 1, London, J. H. Larway [sung text not yet checked]
- by Kerry Glenn Lewis (b. 1948), "Piping down the valleys wild", 1973 [ SSA chorus a cappella ], from Three William Blake Songs for Treble Voices, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mary Alice Lippincott (b. 1919), "The piper", <<1947, published c1950 [ medium voice and piano ], Northbrook, IL, Opus Music [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joan Littlejohn (b. 1937), "Introd.", 1967-70, first performed 1971 [ voice and piano ], from Blakes Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Showing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul, Part I : Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bertram Luard-Selby (1853 - 1918), "Piping down the valleys wild ", published c1897 [ 2-part chorus for 2 treble voices ], London : Boosey & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernest Viviani Lubin (1916 - 1977), "The piper", published c1945 [ high voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1, NY : G. Schirmer [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Charles T. Maclary , "Piping down the valleys", published 1941 [ unison or 2-part treble chorus a cappella ], from Nine Happy Songs, from Songs of Innocence of William Blake, no. 1, Philadelphia : Elkan-Vogel Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Basil Stephen Maine (1894 - 1972), "Piping down the valleys", published 1967 [ female voice and piano ], Peaslake : Polyphonic Reproductions [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Mann (b. 1920), "Introd.", c1951 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], from Three Songs from Blake's "Songs of Innocence", no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Oskar Morawetz (b. 1917), "Piping down the valleys wild", 1947, published 1953 [ high voice or medium voice and piano ], Toronto : G. V. Thompson [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Francis Oxtoby (1912 - 1978), "Piping down the valleys wild ", op. 37 no. 2 (1970) [ voice and flute ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Donald Patriquin (b. 1938), "Introd.", 1984 [ SSAA chorus, harp, and flute ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Helen Patterson , "Piping down the valleys wild ", published 1910 [ high voice and piano ], London : Weekes & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Irena Regina Poldowski (1880 - 1932), "Reeds of innocence", published c1924 [ medium voice and piano ], from Two Songs on Words by William Blake, London : J. W. Chester [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Pulford , "Piping down the valleys", published c1932 [ children's unison chorus and piano ], London : Stainer & Bell [sung text not yet checked]
- by John N. Raines , "Piping down the valleys wild", c1943, unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
- by Thomas Rajna (b. 1928), "Piping down the valleys wild", 1948 [ voice, clarinet, and piano ], from Four Early Songs, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ellen Raskin (1928 - 1984), "Introduction", published 1966 [ voice and piano or guitar ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1, Garden City, NY : Doubleday [sung text not yet checked]
- by Geraldine Dorothy Rasmussen (b. 1925?6), "Pipe a song", 1970, published c1972, 1973 [ voice and piano ], Fort Lauderdale, FL : privately published [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louisa Raymond , "Introduction : Piping down the valleys wild", published 1961 [ soprano or alto and orchestra ], from A Group of Songs for Seana, no. 10 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gardner Read (1913 - 2005), "Song of Innocence", op. 76 no. 3 (1949), published 1950 [ medium voice or low voice and piano ], from Songs to Children, no. 3, NY : Galaxy Music Corp. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Marlyce Rae Polk Reed (b. 1955), "Piper's song", 1977 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Roderick-Jones (b. 1947), "Piping down the valleys wild", 1967-8 [ soprano, SSA chorus, and orchestra ], from cantata Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alec Rowley (1892 - 1958), "Piping down the valleys wild", published c1947 [ SSA chorus and accompaniment ], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 1, London : Novello [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Shepherd (1880 - 1958), "The piper", alternate title: "Reeds of Innocence", published c1916 [ voice and piano ], Boston, C. C. Birchard [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elie Siegmeister (1909 - 1991), "Piping down the valleys", 1972, rev. 1985 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred Jethro Silver (1870 - ?), "Piping down the valleys wild ", published c1913 [ SSA chorus and piano ], NY : J. Fischer & Bros. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Walter Skolnik (b. 1934), "Piping down the valleys wild ", published c1969 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], Philadelphia : Elkan-Vogel Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020), "Introduction", op. 132 no. 1 (2001) [ speaker and tape ], from The Innocence of Experience, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Russell Smith (b. 1927), "The piper", 1949 [ medium voice and piano ], from Six Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Masters van Someren-Godfery (d. 1947), "Piping down the valleys", published c1952 [ voice and piano ], from Six Blake Songs, no. 2, London : Augener [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Somervell, Sir (1863 - 1937), "Piping down the valleys wild", published 1894 [ voice and piano ], from Five Songs of Innocence (formerly Four Songs of Innocence), no. 5, London, Stanley Lucas & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ronald Stevenson (b. 1928), "Introduction", 1948-50, rev. 1965 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1, another version exists for voice, flute, and string quintet (composed 1966-71) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Dorothy Wauchope Stewart , "Introd.", published c1926 [ unison and 2-part treble chorus ], from Eight Songs of Innocence, no. 1, London : H. W. F. Deane & Sons, The Year Book Press [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anthony Strilko (b. 1931), "Introd.", 1960? [ high voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Margaret Ada Sutherland (1897 - 1984), "Piping down the valleys wild", c1950, published c1973 [ voice and piano ], from Four Blake Songs, no. 2, Sydney : J. Albert & Sons (Belwin-Mills) [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Austin Sykes (1909 - 1962), "Piping down the valleys wild", 1935-6, first performed 1975 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eric Harding Thiman (1900 - 1975), "Piping down the valleys wild ", published c1957 [ unison chorus and optional descant recorders ], London : Novello [sung text not yet checked]
- by Christopher Joseph Thomas (1894 - ?), "Piping down the valleys", published c1941 [ women's chorus ], NY : G. Schirmer [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Evan Thomas (b. 1958), "Piping down the valleys wild", 2004 [ medium voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Danny Tuck , "Piping down the valley", published c1979 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], Fort Lauderdale, FL : Music 70 Music Publishers [sung text not yet checked]
- by Percy Purvis Turnbull (b. 1902), "Piping down the valleys wild", published c1925 [ unison chorus and piano ], London : Oxford University Press [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958), "The piper", 1957, published 1958 [ voice and oboe ], from Ten Blake Songs, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Felix Werder (b. 1922), "Piping down", 1961-2 [ soprano and piano ], from From the Blake Collection, op. 42 and op. 50, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rudolph T. Werther (1896 - 1986), "Piper's song", 1960 [ voice and piano ], from Song Cycle : On Children, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eugenia Winslow West , "The piper", published c1946 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ian Dunn Whyte (1901 - 1960), "Piping down the valleys wild", published c1928 [ high voice and piano ], London : J. & W. Chester [sung text not yet checked]
- by Patrick Williams (1905 - 1985), "The piper", published c1938, 1966 [ unison chorus and piano ], London : Bosworth & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Judith Lang Zaimont , "Piping down the valleys wild", 1974 [ soprano, tenor, flute, violoncello, and harp ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:
- by Lloyd Alvin Pfautsch (b. 1921), "Laughing song", published c1976 [ SSAA chorus and flute ], New York : Lawson-Gould (Cherry Lane Music)
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- RUS Russian (Русский) [singable] (Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov) , "Вступление", copyright ©, (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: 121
Vstuplenije
Language: Russian (Русский) after the English
Veselja lesnuju tish', Ja na dudochke dudel. Zasmejalsja vdrug malysh, Chto na oblachke sidel. “Pro jagnjonochka sygraj!” Ja sygral, kak on prosil. “Povtorjaj zhe, povtorjaj!” Ja igral – on sljozy lil. “A teper' mne pesnju spoj!” Ja zapel, kak on prosil. Radovalsja mal'chik moj I vsjo bol'she sljozy lil. “Zapishi-ka vsjo, chto pel, Vremja popustu ne trat'!” – Molvil on i uletel. Ja raskryl svoju tetrad', Vzjal pero iz kamysha I chernila iz ruch'ja – Pust' ljubogo malysha Pesnja radujet moja.
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Note on TransliterationsShow untransliterated (original) text
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020), "Вступление", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Introduction", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 1, first published 1789
Researcher for this page: Richard Shaw
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-17
Line count: 20
Word count: 81