Lullaby of an Infant Chief
Lullaby of an Infant Chief - context Summary
Published in 1812’s Marmion
A lullaby from Walter Scott’s narrative poem reassures an infant of noble birth while quietly foreshadowing a martial future. The speaker comforts the child with images of family, lands, and vigilant guardians, yet repeatedly warns that sleep is temporary: adulthood will bring trumpet, drum, and conflict. The song blends tender domestic voice with the inevitability of duty and violence expected of a young heir in a feudal setting.
Read Complete Analyseshush thee, my babie, thy sire was a knight, Thy mother a lady, both lovely and bright; The woods and the glens, from the towers which we see, They all are belonging, dear babie, to thee. O ho ro, i ri ri, cadul gu lo, O ho ro, i ri ri, cadul gu lo. O fear not the bugle, though loudly it blows, It calls but the warders that guard thy repose; Their bows would be bended, their blades would be red, Ere the step of a foeman drew near to thy bed. O ho ro, i ri ri, cadul gu lo, O ho ro, i ri ri, cadul gu lo. O hush thee, my babie, the time soon will come When thy sleep shall be broken by trumpet and drum; Then hush thee, my darling, take rest while you may, For strife comes with manhood, and waking with day. O ho ro, i ri ri, cadul gu lo, O ho ro, i ri ri, cadul gu lo.
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