Sing me a lullaby

As we try to instil night time habits for our dear little one I am collecting a number of little lullabies.  I hope to help her know it's sleep time and have noticed she responds well when I sing to her.  My first were Twinkle Twinkle and Jesus Loves You.  A fairly basic repertoire.  During the day I sometimes sing her I'm a Little Teapot.  It makes her smile and I can move her body to make the actions or dance her around the room with it.  The closest I got to a true lullaby was Go to Sleep You Little Baby from Oh Brother Where Art Thou.  I feel a bit weird that I don't know any true lullabies and would sometimes make them up, but can never remember those when I need them again the next day.

Recently I was given a book - Yellow Moon, Apple Moon - which has a lullaby in it.  I first I thought the book looked cheesey and kind of dumb.  But I read it a few times to the boy I babysit for when he was 7 months old and it was the only book that he would sit still for.  Mysteriously.  Out of all the books, this nonsense one was his favourite and I didn't even sing the lullaby in the middle.  Then his parents gave it to me along with a pile of other books they were going to otherwise get rid of.  I guess it wasn't their favourite book but it had become mine so I was very pleased to find it in the box.  This is the book.

I thought I might find the song from it on youtube to share with you but alas it wasn't.  I did find this.  Jbird and I coincidentally sometimes play this together as a duo on the violin and viola but I hadn't placed it into the context of a true lullaby for my baby.  It's so pretty, I'm going to buy it to put on repeat in her room.  And learn the words so I can sing it to my baby. 

 

Slumber, my darling, thy mother is near,
Guarding thy dreams from all terror and fear,
Sunlight has pass'd and the twilight has gone,
Slumber, my darling, the night's coming on.
Sweet visions attend thy sleep,
Fondest, dearest to me,
While others their revels keep,
I will watch over thee.

Slumber, my darling, the birds are at rest,
The wandering dews by the flow'rs are caressed,
Slumber, my darling, I'll wrap thee up warm,
And pray that the angels will shield thee from harm.

Slumber, my darling, till morn's blushing ray
Brings to the world the glad tidings of day;
Fill the dark void with thy dreamy delight--
Slumber, thy mother will guard thee tonight,
Thy pillow shall sacred be
From all outward alarms;
Thou, thou are the world to me
In thine innocent charms.

Slumber, my darling, the birds are at rest,
The wandering dews by the flow'rs are caressed,
Slumber, my darling, I'll wrap thee up warm,
And pray that the angels will shield thee from harm