(Edward) Benjamin Britten: A Charm of Lullabies (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Sleep, sleep, beauty bright,
Dreaming o'er the joys of night;
Sleep, sleep, in thy sleep
Little sorrows sit and weep.

Sweet babe, in thy face
Soft desires I can trace,
Secret joys and secret smiles,
Little pretty infant wiles.

[ ... ]

O! the cunning wiles that creep 
In thy little heart asleep. 
When thy little heart does wake 
Then the dreadful lightnings break, 

From thy cheek and from thy eye, 
O'er the youthful harvests nigh. 
Infant wiles and infant smiles 
Heaven and Earth of peace beguiles.

Input by Geoffrey Wieting

2. The Highland Balou

Language: English

Authorship

Robert Burns (1759-1796)

See other settings of this text

Available translations (or transliterations, if applicable):

ENG

English

FRE

French


Hee Balou, my sweet wee Donald,
Picture o' the great Clanronald!
Brawlie kens our wanton Chief
What gat my young Highland thief.
(Hee Balou!)

Leeze me on thy bonnie craigie!
And thou live, thou'll steal a naigie,
Travel the country thro' and thro' ,
and bring hame a Carlisle cow!

Thro' the Lawlands, o'er the Border,
Weel, my babie, may thou furder!
Herry the louns o' the laigh Countrie,
Syne to the Highlands hame to me!

Input by David K. Smythe

3. Sephestia's Lullaby

Language: English

Authorship

Robert Greene (1558-1592)


Weep not, my wanton, smile upon my knee;
When thou art old there's grief enough for thee.

Mother's wag, pretty boy,
Father's sorrow, father's joy;
When thy father first did see
Such a boy by him and me,

He was glad, I was woe;
Fortune changed made him so,
When he left his pretty boy,
Last his sorrow, first his joy

Weep not, my wanton, smile upon my knee;
When thou art old there's grief enough for thee

The wanton smiled, father wept,
Mother cried, baby leapt;
More he crow'ed, more we cried,
Nature could not sorrow hide:

He must go, he must kiss
Child and mother, baby bliss,
For he left his pretty boy,
Father's sorrow, father's joy.

Weep not my wanton, smile upon my knee
When thou art old there's grief enough for thee.

Input by Yvonne Helander

4. A charm

Language: English

Authorship

Thomas Randolph (1605-1635)


 Quiet! 
 Sleep! or I will make
 Erinnys whip thee with a snake,
 And cruel Rhadamanthus take
 Thy body to the boiling lake,
 Where fire and brimstones never slake;
 Thy heart shall burn, thy head shall ache,
 And ev'ry joint about thee quake;
 And therefor dare not yet to wake!
 Quiet, sleep!
 Quiet, sleep!
 Quiet!

 Quiet! 
 Sleep! or thou shalt see
 The horrid hags of Tartary,
 Whose tresses ugly serpants be,
 And Cerberus shall bark at thee,
 And all the Furies that are three
 The worst is called Tisiphone,
 Shall lash thee to eternity;
 And therefor sleep thou peacefully
 Quiet, sleep!
 Quiet, sleep!
 Quiet!

Input by Yvonne Helander

5. The Nurse's Song

Language: English

Authorship

John Phillip (fl. 1561)

Available translations (or transliterations, if applicable):

ENG

English


Lullaby baby,
Lullaby baby,
Thy nurse will tend thee as duly as may be.
Lullaby baby!

Be still, my sweett sweeting, no longer do cry;
Sing lullaby baby,  lullaby baby.
Let dolours be fleeting, I fancy thee, I ...
To rock and to lull thee I will not delay me.

Lullaby baby,
Lullabylabylaby baby,
Thy nurse will tend thee as duly as may be
Lullabylabylaby baby

The gods be thy shield and comfort in need!
The gods be thy shield and comfort in need!
Sing Lullaby baby, 
Lullabylaby baby

They give thee good fortune and well for to speed,
And this to desire ... I will not delay me.
This to desire ... I will not delay me.

Lullaby lullabylaby baby,
Thy nurse will tend thee as duly as may be.
Lullabylabylabylaby baby.

Input by Yvonne Helander