Lyrics from lullabies

JOHN O’DREAMS (Irish Lullaby)

Melody by Tchaikovsky/words by Bill Caddick

“When midnight comes good people, homeward tread

Seek now your blankets and your feather bed

Home is the rover, his journey’s over

Yield up the nightime to old John of Dreams

Across the hills the sun has gone astray

Tomorrow’s cares are many dreams away

The stars are flying, your candle’s burning

Yield up the nightime to old John of Dreams

Both man and master in the night are one

All things are equal when the day is done

The prince and the ploughman, the slave and the freeman

All find their comfort in old John of Dreams

When sleep it comes and dreams come running clear

The hawks of morning cannot reach you here

Sleep is a river, flow on forever

And for your boatman choose old John of Dreams.”

CONNEMARA CRADLE SONG

By John Francis Waller

“On the wings of the wind o’er the dark rolling deep,

Angels are coming to watch over thee,

Angels are coming to watch o’er thy sleep.

So list to the wind coming over the sea.

Chorus (2x after each verse):

Hear the wind blow, love, hear the wind blow

Lean your head over and hear the wind blow

The currachs are sailing way out on the blue,

Laden with herring of silvery hue,

O silver the herring, silver the sea –

Soon there’ll be silver for baby and me.

The currachs tomorrow will stand on the shore

And daddy goes sailing, a-sailing no more.

The nets will be drying, the nets heaven blessed.

And safe in my arms, contented he’ll rest.’

Lullabies are of course meant to be sung. These two

above have lovely melodies you can hear on:

LULLABIES FOR LOVE

A Celtic Collection to benefit

One Home Many Hopes, Kenya. CD published 2011.

Joey aka “Pepe Batbon” Connolly is a retired educator who taught in the CNMI, NOLA, and LVNV. He is the Poet Laureate of Tinian and enjoys stargazing.