Irish Lullaby

By Alfred Perceval Graves

From The Cabinet of Irish Literature, Volume 4, edited by T. P. O'Connor

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
sho hoo 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 sho hoo lo the green flags shiver.
Sleep, baby dear,
Sleep without fear,
Mother is here with you for ever.

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

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