Nicholas Breton

(1546 - 1626 / England)

A Cradle Song, The Arbor of Amorous Devices, 1593-4

COME little babe, come silly soul,
Thy father's shame, thy mother's grief,
Born as I doubt to all our dole,
And to thyself unhappy chief:
   Sing lullaby, and lap it warm,
   Poor soul that thinks no creature harm.

Thou little think'st and less dost know
The cause of this thy mother's moan;
Thou want'st the wit to wail her woe,
And I myself am all alone:
   Why dost thou weep? why dost thou wail?
   And know'st not yet what thou dost ail.

Come, little wretch--ah, silly heart!
Mine only joy, what can I more?
If there be any wrong thy smart,
That may the destinies implore:
   'Twas I, I say, against my will,
   I wail the time, but be thou still.

And dost thou smile? O, thy sweet face!
Would God Himself He might thee see!--
No doubt thou wouldst soon purchase grace,
I know right well, for thee and me:
   But come to mother, babe, and play,
   For father false is fled away.

Sweet boy, if it by fortune chance
Thy father home again to send,
If death do strike me with his lance,
Yet mayst thou me to him commend:
   If any ask thy mother's name,
   Tell how by love she purchased blame.

Then will his gentle heart soon yield:
I know him of a noble mind:
Although a lion in the field,
A lamb in town thou shalt him find:
   Ask blessing, babe, be not afraid,
   His sugar'd words hath me betray'd.

Then mayst thou joy and be right glad;
Although in woe I seem to moan,
Thy father is no rascal lad,
A noble youth of blood and bone:
   His glancing looks, if he once smile,
   Right honest women may beguile.

Come, little boy, and rock asleep;
Sing lullaby and be thou still;
I, that can do naught else but weep,
Will sit by thee and wail my fill:
   God bless my babe, and lullaby
   From this thy father's quality.

Submitted: Saturday, January 04, 2003

Do you like this poem?
0 person liked.
0 person did not like.

Read poems about / on: father, mother, smart, smile, joy, grief, women, god, home, alone, death, heart, song, woman

Read this poem in other languages

This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.

I would like to translate this poem »

word flags

What do you think this poem is about?

Comments about this poem (A Cradle Song, The Arbor of Amorous Devices, 1593-4 by Nicholas Breton )

Enter the verification code :

There is no comment submitted by members..

Trending Poets

Trending Poems

  1. Invictus, William Ernest Henley
  2. Still I Rise, Maya Angelou
  3. The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost
  5. Dreams, Langston Hughes
  6. Daffodils, William Wordsworth
  8. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Robert Frost
  10. If You Forget Me, Pablo Neruda

Poem of the Day

poet Sarah Flower Adams

O Love! thou makest all things even
In earth or heaven;
Finding thy way through prison-bars
Up to the stars;
Or, true to the Almighty plan,
That out of dust created man,
...... Read complete »


New Poems

  1. Miles away, hannah wilbert
  3. A life unexamined, Robert Plese
  4. Dying, Dipankar Chakraborty
  6. Control, Robert Plese
  7. Time is your worst enemy, Leong Ming Loong
  8. Price, Nassy Fesharaki
  9. Hate Is A Strong Word, Michael Webb
  10. The marvelous designer., Gangadharan nair Pulingat..
[Hata Bildir]