Night

The sun descending in the west,
The evening star does shine;
The birds are silent in their nest.
And I must seek for mine.
The moon, like a flower
In heaven's high bower,
With silent delight
Sits and smiles on the night.

Farewell, green fields and happy grove,
Where flocks have took delight:
Where lambs have nibbled, silent move
The feet of angels bright;
Unseen they pour blessing
And joy without ceasing
On each bud and blossom,
And each sleeping bosom.

They look in every thoughtless nest
Where birds are cover'd warm;
They visit caves of every beast,
To keep them all from harm:
If they see any weeping
That should have been sleeping,
They pour sleep on their head,
And sit down by their bed.

When wolves and tigers howl for prey,
They pitying stand and weep,
Seeking to drive their thirst away
And keep them from the sheep.
But, if they rush dreadful,
The angels, most heedful,
Receive each mild spirit,
New worlds to inherit.

And there the lion's ruddy eyes
Shall flow with tears of gold:
And pitying the tender cries,
And walking round the fold:
Saying, "Wrath, by His meekness,
And, by His health, sickness,
Are driven away
From our immortal day.

"And now beside thee, bleating lamb,
I can lie down and sleep,
Or think on Him who bore thy name,
Graze after thee, and weep.
For, wash'd in life's river,
My bright mane for ever
Shall shine like the gold
As I guard o'er the fold."

by William Blake (1757-1827) , "Night", from Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 14, published 1789

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-) , "Night", stanzas 1-3, from Blake Song Cycle, no. 1.
by James David Audlin (1954-) , "Night", 1987. [sop,flute,pf]
by Christian Bänsch-Narnia (1956-) , "Night" [2v, 2 guitars]
by Phillip Thomas Bezanson (1916-1975) , "Night", published 1959, from Songs of Innocence, no. 6.
by Jacques (Jacob) Blumenthal (1829-1908) , "Night", published 1878? [four-part song for SATB chorus], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1.
by William Bolcom (1938-) , "Night", 1956-81 [soloists, madrigal group, chorus, orchestra], from Songs of Innocence, no. 17.
by (Henry) Elliot Button (1861-?) , "Night", published 1892, from Songs of Innocence, no. 4.
by Ann Marie Callaway (1949-) , "Night Patterns", 1973. [coloratura soprano, clarinet, percussion, 2 violins, 2 cellos, double bass]
by Arthur George Colborn (1869-) , "Night", published 1918. [part-song for mixed voices]
by Geoffrey Gwyther , "Night", published 1917 [medium voice and piano], from Seven Poems from Blake's "Songs of Innocence", no. 7, London, The Poetry Bookshop
by Kenneth Harding (1903-1992) , "The sun descending", first performed 1944. [baritone, chorus, and orchestra]
by Sven Lekberg (1899-1984) , "Farewell, green fields and happy groves", published c1971, stanza 2? [four-part mixed chorus a cappella], New York, G. Schirmer
by Frank Lewin (1925-) , "Night", published 1960, first performed 1961 [soprano and chamber ensemble], from Innocence and Experience, no. 9, New York, American Composers Alliance
by Bernard Rands (1935-) , "The moon", 1991, lines 5-8, from Canti lunatici, no. 6.

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