22 LULLABY OF AN INFANT CHIEF

O hush 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 are all belonging, dear babie, to thee.

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 draws near to thy bed.

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.

( Sir Walter Scott )

The Author

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) was born in Scotland. He was a famous novelist and poet. When a child, he learned the Scottish legends and ballads,and later he wove them into his writings.

Word list

sire : father or grandfather

glens : valleys

towers : high buildings

You Practice

Answer the following questions.

1) How do we know that the baby has great possessions?

2) How would the warders protect the baby?

3) What will this baby do when he becomes a man?

4) What will the trumpet and drum mean to him then?

5) How can you tell that this baby lived a long time ago?