In a shroud of wonder!

Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
Smiles awake when you rise.
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby.
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.

&
Thomas Dekker

O soft embalmer of the still midnight,
Shutting, with careful fingers and benign,
Our gloom-pleas'd eyes, embower'd from the light,
Enshaded in forgetfulness divine:

O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close
In midst of this thine hymn my willing eyes,
Or wait the amen, ere thy poppy throws
Around my bed its lulling charities.

&
Keats

Wat is die slaap ‘n wondersoete ding!
Sag op haar bloue oë daal die vaak
soos maneskyn diep waterkuile raak
om daar te droom in silwer skemering.

&
DF Malherbe

My naakte siel wil sonder skrome
in alle eenvoud tot jou gaan,
soos uit diepe slaap ons drome,
soos teen skemerlug die bome
opreik na die bloue maan;

gaan met al sy donker wense,
en die heilige, nooit-gehoorde
dinge sê, waarvoor die mense
huiwer, en wat om die grense
flikker van my duister woorde.

&
NP van Wyk Louw

&
Tortelduifie sit in die eikebo-oom
Sing die lied van sy lewensdro-oom
Koe-er, tortelduifie, koer,
Tortelduifie by die waterstroom!

&
Tortelduifie sit in die eikebo-oom
Sing die lied van my lewensdro-oom
Koe-er, tortelduifie, koer,
Tortelduifie by die waterstroom!

“roses are red my love
violets are blue
sugar is sweet my love
but not sweeter than you

& The soul of sweet delight can never be defil’d &

}i{

Love is like a butterfly
As soft and gentle as a sigh
The multi-coloured moods of love
Are like its satin wings

“The faery beam upon you,
The stars to glister on you;
A moon of light
In the noon of night!

And I shut her wild sad eyes
So kissed to sleep
Sleep tight gentle darling

*
~ ~
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

Baby, O baby, fain you are for bed,
Magpie to mopoke busy as the bee;
The little red calf's in the snug cow-shed,
An' the little brown bird's in the tree.
~ δ ~
Louis Esson

Full many a gem of purest ray serene
The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
ʯ
Thomas Gray