A Christmas Cradlesong

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A Christmas Cradlesong (1849)
by Lope de Vega, translated by George Ticknor

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Written in Spanish by Lope as Cantarcillo de la Virgen, translated by George Ticknor for inclusion in his ‘’History of Spanish Literature’’, published in 1849

Lope de Vega142204A Christmas Cradlesong1849George Ticknor

Holy angels and blest,
    Through the palms as ye sweep
Hold their branches at rest
    For my babe is asleep.

And ye Bethlehem palm-trees
     As stormy winds rush
In tempest and fury
     Your angry noise hush;-
Move gently, move gently,
     Restrain your wild sweep;
Hold your branches at rest
     My babe is asleep.

My babe all divine,
   With earth’s sorrows oppressed,
Seeks slumber an instant
   His grievings to rest;
He slumbers,- he slumbers,-
   O, hush then and keep
Your branches all still,-
   My babe is asleep.

Cold blasts wheel about him,-
     A rigourous storm,-
And ye see how, in vain,
     I would shelter his form;-
Holy angels and blest
     As above me ye sweep,
Hold these branches at rest,-
     My babe is asleep.

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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