You spotted snakes with double tongue

You spotted snakes with double tongue,
Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen;
Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong,
Come not near our fairy queen.

Philomel, with melody
Sing in our sweet lullaby;
Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby:
[Never harm,
Nor spell nor charm,
Come our lovely lady nigh;
So, good night, with lullaby.]1

Weaving spiders, come not here;
Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence!
[Beetles black, approach not near;
Worm nor snail, do no offence.

Philomel, with melody, etc.]2

by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) , no title, from Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II, Scene 2

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

by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944) , "Fairy lullaby", op. 37 (Three Shakespeare Songs) no. 3.
by Marc Blitzstein (1905-1964) , "Lullaby", published 1958 [low voice, piano], from Six Elizabethan Songs, no. 5.
by Julius Allan Greenway Harrison (1885-1963) , "Philomel"
by Frederick Keel (1871-1954) , "You spotted snakes"
by Ernst Křenek (1900-1991) , "Fairies' song" [madrigal], from Three Madrigals, no. 1.

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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