A Mother’s cradle song (John Cheshire)

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• (Posted 2023-10-03)  CPDL #75984:     

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-10-03).   Score information: Letter, 8 pages, 587 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: A Mother’s cradle song
Composer: John Cheshire
Lyricist: Anonymous
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1873 Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.
Description: 

Original text and translations

English text

A MOTHER’S CRADLE SONG

Gently, gently fall sweet sleep
O’er thine eyelids soft and deep;
Gently, as the breath of flowers
In the bright noon’s honeyed hours;
Gently, as the dews of heaven
On the wild rose at the even.

Thou art pure, my darling boy!
Lovely, bright, and full of joy,
Slumbering without dream of care,
Of life’s sorrows unaware,
Like the flowers in spring that come
Gaily bursting into bloom.

God thee aid, his grace to win,
Through the cold world’s maze of sin,
In each sad and joyous hour,
In thy weakness, as thy power;
Still my boy, my prayer shall be,
Oh! that God may strengthen thee.

• Italic indicates lines of poem omitted in the musical setting.