Now the shadows gather fast, "by-low" time has come at last;
Little birds have gone to rest, safe within their downy nest;
Little lambkins seek the fold, warmly housed from wind and cold:
Baby darling, you and I now must sing our lullaby!
I will sing a sweet good-night to my baby's blue eyes bright,
To the little cheeks so fair, to the sunny, golden hair,
To the rosy lips so sweet, to the dimpled hands and feet;
Gently rocking to and fro, singing softly, singing low.
Into "Dreamland," baby wee, you will slip away from me;
Out from shadow into light, to the world of visions bright;
While the mother-love so true, keeping tender watch o'er you,
With the lullaby shall seem still to soothe and bless your dream.

Lullaby, oh, lullaby! stars are lighting in the sky;
All the sunshine of the day like yourself is tired of play:
Tell me, are the sunbeams there in that dreamland bright and fair?
Bring them back, my baby, then, when you wake to earth again.
Sweetly on her mother's breast sinks the little one to rest.
By-low time is sweeter far than all the hours of play-time are:
So thinks baby, so think I, as we sing our lullaby,
Rocking gently to and fro, chanting softly, chanting low.