A bed-time song (Rice, set by E. Nevin) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Sway to and fro in the twilight gray,
This is the ferry for Shadowtown;
It always sails at the end of day,
Just as the darkness is closing down.
Rest, little head, on my shoulder, so;
A sleepy kiss is the only fare,
Drifting away from the world we go,
Baby and I in the rocking chair,
See where the firelogs glow and spark
Glitter the lights of the shadowland;
The winter rain in the window, hark!
Are ripples lapping upon its strand.
There! where the mirror is glancing dim,
A lake lies shimmering cool and still,
Blossoms are waving above its brim,
Those over there on the windowsill,
Rock slow, more slow in the dusky light,
Silently lower the anchor down!
Dear little passenger, say "Good night" -
We've reach'd the harbor of Shadowtown.

Authorship

Lillian Dynevor Rice

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

Ethelbert Nevin (1862-1901)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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