Translation by Clara A. Walsh (flourished c1910)
Slumber Song of Izumo
Language: English after the Japanese (日本語)
Sleep, baby, sleep ! On mountains steep The children of the hare are straying. Why are their soft brown ears so long and slender, Peeping above the rocks where they are playing ? Because their mother, ere they yet were born, Ate the Loquat leaves in the dewy morn, And the bamboo grass long and slender — That's why the ears of baby-hares are long ! Sleep, baby, sleep ! to the lilt of my song !
Confirmed with Clara A. Walsh, The Master-Singers of Japan, Murray, 1914, p. 71
Text Authorship:
- by Clara A. Walsh (flourished c1910), "Slumber Song of Izumo", appears in The Master-Singers of Japan [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Japanese (日本語) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gertrude Ross (1889 - 1957), "Slumber Song of Izumo", subtitle: "Andantino", published 1917 [ voice and piano ], from 大和調べ = Yamata Shirabe = Art Songs of Japan, no. 5, Boston : White-Smith Music Pubishing Co. [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2025-04-06
Line count: 10
Word count: 73