A good boy

I woke before the morning,
I was happy all the day,
I never said an ugly word,
but smiled and stuck to play.

And now at last the sun
is going down behind the wood,
And I am very happy,
for I know that I've been good.

My bed is waiting cool and fresh,
with linen smooth and fair,
And I must off to sleep again,
and not forget my prayer.

I know that, till tomorrow
I shall see the sun arise,
No ugly dream shall fright my mind,
no ugly sight my eyes,

But slumber hold me tightly
till I waken in the dawn,
And hear the thrushes singing
in the lilacs round the lawn.

by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) , "A good boy", from A Child's Garden of Verses, published 1885

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

by Homer Newton Bartlett (1845-1920) , "A good boy", published 1897 [voice and piano], from The Stevenson Song-Book
by Thomas Crawford , "A good boy", published 1915 [voice and piano], from Songs with Music from "A Child's Garden of Verses", no. 4.
by Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947) , "A good boy", from Five Little Songs, no. 5.
by Roger Quilter (1877-1953) , "A good child", op. 5 (Four child songs) no. 1, published 1914. [voice and piano]
by Teresa del Riego (c1876-1968) , "Sleepsin-by", published 1909 [voice and piano], from Children's pictures, no. ?
by Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson (1931-) , "A good boy", published 1968 [high voice and piano], from From a child's garden, no. 11.

FRE French (Sylvain Labartette)

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