Friday, December 5, 2008
A Cradle Song
Sleep, Sleep, beauty bright
Dreaming o'er the joys of night.
Sleep, Sleep: in they sleep
Little sorrows sit & weep.

Sweet Babe, in thy face
Soft desires I can trace
Secret joys & secret smiles
Little pretty infant wiles.

As thy softest limbs I feel
Smiles as of the morning steal
O'er thy cheek & o'er thy breast
Where thy little heart does rest.

O, the cunning wiles that creep
In thy little heart asleep.
When thy little heart does wake,
Then the dreadful lightnings break.

From thy cheek & from thy eye
O'er the youthful harvests nigh
Infant wiles & infant smiles
Heaven & Earth of peace beguiles.
--William Blake

Labels: , ,

Permalink | | posted by jau at 11:26 AM


1 more:
Anonymous Anonymous — at 12:59 PM, December 06, 2008:
I don't dislike Blake but I guess I miss something in him, my daughter loves him, I'm more of a Thomas Hardy man. It isn't a modern thing either, because I love Donne too. I may have mentioned before the wonderful album 'The Simon Sisters Sing Songs for Children', in which Lucy Simon sets a number of poems and nursery rhymes to music and she and Carly sing them. It includes The Lamb by Blake. It is finally available on CD. Anyone with young kids should have it.
 

< home >


Post a Comment

< home