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Irish Lullaby

by Alfred Perceval Graves 1846–1931

From Lyra Celtica (1924)

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I’d rock my own sweet childie to rest in a cradle
of gold on a bough of the willow,
To the shoheen ho of the wind of the west and the
lulla lo of the soft sea billow.
Sleep, baby dear,
Sleep without fear,
Mother is here beside your pillow.

I’d put my own sweet childie to sleep in a silver boat
on the beautiful river,
Where a shoheen whisper the white cascades, and a
lulla lo the green flags shiver.
Sleep, baby dear,
Sleep without fear,
Mother is here with you for ever.

Lulla lo! to the rise and fall of mother’s bosom
’tis sleep has bound you,
And O, my child, what cosier nest for rosier rest
could love have found you?
Sleep, baby dear,
Sleep without fear,
Mother’s two arms are clasped around you.

MLA

Graves, Alfred Perceval. “Irish Lullaby.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/graves_ap/55/.

Chicago

Graves, Alfred Perceval. “Irish Lullaby.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/graves_ap/55/.

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