The Babes in the Wood
(Well-known Version)
The Babes in the Wood
(Well-known Version)
Traditional Song
O don't you remember
A long time ago
Two poor little babes,
Their names I don't know,
They strayed far away,
On a bright summer's day.
These two little babes
Got lost on their way.
Refrain
Poor babes in the wood!
Poor babes in the wood!
Oh! Don't you remember
Those babes in the wood?
Among the trees high,
Beneath the blue sky,
They plucked the bright flowers
And watched the birds fly;
Then on blackberries fed,
And strawberries red,
And when they were weary
'We'll go home,' they said.
Refrain
And when it was night,
So sad was their plight,
The sun it went down,
And the moon gave no light!
They sobbed and they sighed
And they bitterly cried
And long before morning,
They lay down and died.
Refrain
And when they were dead,
The robins so red,
Brought strawberry leaves
And over them spread
And all the day long,
On the branches did throng,
They mournfully whistled,
And this was their song:
Refrain
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Notes
Here's the version recited in the mp3:
My dear, do you know,
How a long time ago,
Two poor little children,
Whose names I don't know,
Were stolen away on a fine summer's day,
And left in a wood, as I've heard people say.
And when it was night,
So sad was their plight!
The sun it went down,
And the moon gave no light!
They sobbed and they sighed, and they bitterly cried
And the poor little things, they lay down and died.
And when they were dead,
The robins so red,
Brought strawberry-leaves
And over them spread;
And all the day long,
They sung them this song:
"Poor babes in the wood! Poor babes in the wood!
Oh don't you remember the babes in the wood?"
Comments
The picture above is from One of R. Caldecott's Picture Books which is available for free at Project Gutenberg. You can hear a shorter version of The Babes in the Wood Song here
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