A Child Asleep

"A Child Asleep" is a song, with lyrics from a poem written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It was set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in December 1909 and published in 1910 by Novello.[1] It was first published by Browning in 1840.[2]

It is dedicated to Anthony Goetz, the son of Ludovic Goetz and Muriel Foster, a favourite singer and personal friend of Elgar.[1]

Lyrics

  How he sleepeth!

  Vision unto vision calleth,
  While the young child dreameth on.
  Fair, O dreamer, thee befalleth
  With the glory thou hast won!
Darker wert thou in the garden, yestermorn, by summer sun.

  We should see the spirits [rising]
  Round thee,—were the clouds away.
  'Tis the child-heart draws them, singing
  In the silent-seeming clay.
Singing!—stars that seem the mutest, go in music music all the way.

  Softly, softly! make no noises!
  Now he lieth [still] and dumb.
  Now he hears the angels' voices
  Folding silence in the room.
Now he muses deep the meaning of the Heaven-words as they come.

  He is harmless—[we] are sinful.
  [We] are troubled—he, at ease.
  From his slumber, virtue winful
  Floweth outward with increase.
Dare not bless him! but be blessèd by his peace—and go in peace.[3]

— Stanza I, line 1a; stanzas IV, V, IX, and XII

Recordings
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References
  1. Kennedy, Michael (1987). Portrait of Elgar (Third ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 350. ISBN 0-19-284017-7.
  2. Browning, Elizabeth Barrett; Preston, Harriet Waters (1900). The Complete Poetical Works of Mrs. Browning. Houghton Mifflin. pp. 155–156.
  3. Text taken from: Barrett Browning, Elizabeth (1856). Poems. 2 (4th ed.). London: Chapman & Hall. pp. 150-153., showing Elgar's alterations in [brackets], according to: "How he sleepeth! having drunken (Browning, set by Edward Elgar, Sir, Rudolph T. Werther)". www.lieder.net. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  • Percy Young, Elgar O.M.
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