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by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872 - 1906)

Oh, the little bird is rocking in the...
Language: English 
Oh, the little bird is rocking in the cradle of the wind,
And it's bye, my little wee one, bye;
The harvest all is gathered and the pippins all are binned;
Bye, my little wee one, bye;
The little rabbit's hiding in the golden shock of Corn,
The thrifty squirrel's laughing bunny's idleness to scorn;
You are smilng with the angels in your slumber, smile till morn;
So it's bye, my little wee one, bye.
There'll be plenty in the cellar, there'll be plenty on the shelf;
Bye, my little wee one, bye;
There'll be goodly store of sweetings for a dainty little elf;
Bye, my little wee one, bye.
The snow may be a-flying o'er the meadow and the hill,
The ice has checked the chatter of the little laughing rill,
But in your cosey cradle you are warm and happy still;
So bye, my little wee one, bye.
Why, the Bob White thinks the snowflake is a brother to his song;
Bye, my little wee one, bye;
And the chimney sings the sweeter when the wind is blowing strong;
Bye, my little wee one, bye;
The granary's overflowing, full is cellar, crib, and bin,
The wood has paid its tribute and the ax has ceased its din;
The winter may not harm you when you're sheltered safe within;
So bye, my little wee one, bye.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872 - 1906), "The Farm Child's Lullaby" [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 Valerie Capers (b. 1937), "Farmchild's Lullaby", copyright © 2018 [ tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-01-24
Line count: 24
Word count: 227

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