Awake, awake my little boy

Awake, awake my little boy, 
thou wast thy mother's only joy. 
Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep? 
Awake, thy father does thee keep. 
Oh, what land is the land of dreams? 
What are its mountains and what are its streams? 
O father, I saw my mother there, 
among the lilies by waters fair. 
Among the lambs clothed in white, 
she walked with her Thomas in sweet delight. 
I wept for joy; like a dove I mourn. 
Oh, when shall I again return? 
Dear child, I also by pleasand streams 
have wandered all night in the land of dreams; 
but though calm and warm the waters wide, 
I could not get to the other side? 
Father, O father, what do we here, 
in this land of unbelief and fear? 
The land of dreams is better far -- 
above the light of the morning star.

by William Blake (1757-1827)

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

by (Thomas) Athanasios Aronis (1935-) , "The land of dreams", from Blake Song Cycle, no. 9.
by (William) Havergal Brian (1876-1972) , "The land of dreams", published c1932.
by Nigel Henry Butterley (1935-) , "The land of dreams", op. 2 no. 3 (1956), from Six Blake Songs, no. 3.
by Frederick Robert Frye , "The land of dreams", published 1895 [medium voice and piano], London, J. H. Larway
by Oskar Morawetz (1917-) , "Land of dreams"
by Virgil Garnett Thomson (1896-1989) , "The land of dreams", published c1953 [medium voice and piano], from Five Songs from William Blake, no. 3.

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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