Sea Slumber Song

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Sea Slumber Song" a poem by Roden Noel and was set to music by Sir Edward Elgar as the first song of his song-cycle Sea Pictures.

The poem here is as sung in Sea Pictures. Italicised text indicates lines repeated in the song but that are not in the original poem.

Sea-birds are asleep,
The world forgets to weep,
Sea murmurs her soft slumber-song
On the shadowy sand
Of this elfin land;

“I, the Mother mild,
Hush thee, O my child,
Forget the voices wild!
Hush thee, O my child,
Hush thee

Isles in elfin light
Dream, the rocks and caves,
Lull’d by whispering waves,
Veil their marbles
Veil their marbles bright,
Foam glimmers faintly white
Upon the shelly sand
Of this elfin land;

Sea-sound, like violins,
To slumber woos and wins,
I murmur my soft slumber-song,
My slumber-song,
Leave woes, and wails, and sins,

Ocean’s shadowy might
Breathes goodnight,
Good-night…
Leave woes, and wails, and sins,
Good-night… Good-night…
Good-night…
Good-night…
Good-night… Good-night…