MUSINGS FROM THE BOWER 23

Do parents still sing lullabies to their babies? I read recently that a survey of young mums showed that most of them sang the latest chart-topper to get their little ones to sleep. This is fine in some ways, for instance if the song happens to have a melody and a gentle rhythm, though perhaps not so good if it’s a rap or something which requires a lot of shouting. Although tradition doesn’t seem to count for much these days, it would be sad if the old lullabies just died out, because they are a link with our mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers and even further back in time.

The lullaby which most people probably know is Rock-a-bye Baby on the Tree Top (originally, it was ‘Hush-a-by). It first appeared in print in 1765, so was no doubt known well before then.

Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree top
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all

In 1916, in The Real Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme book, a version is included which reads:

Rock-a-bye, baby, thy cradle is green;

Father's a nobleman, mother's a queen;

And Betty's a lady, and wears a gold ring;

And Johnny's a drummer, and drums for the king

The tune of Rock-a-bye baby is based on a very old marching song known as Lillibulero.

My mother’s favourite lullaby, the one she used to sing when I was a child was:

Oh lulla lulla lulla lulla bye-bye

Do you want the moon to play with?
Or the stars to run away with?
They'll come if you don't cry
Oh lulla lulla lulla lulla bye-bye
Into mummy’s arms come creeping
And soon you’ll be a-sleeping

Lulla, lulla lulla lulla bye

She also used to sing Brahms Lullaby, though I believe her version might be slightly different to the more usual one:

Roses whisper goodnight

In the silvery light

They hide from the dew

The whole night through

They will bear you above

To a dreamland of love

They will bear you above

To a dreamland of love

And of course, Golden Slumbers was another favourite:

Golden slumbers

Kiss your eyes
Smiles await you

When you rise
Sleep pretty baby
Do not cry
And I will sing

A lullaby

I used to sing these to my children when they were tiny, until one evening my son said tearfully, ‘Don’t sing that sad song, mummy’ – referring to ‘Oh Lulla Lulla Lulla Lulla Bye-bye’. Did he perhaps pick up the wistfulness in my voice, the fact that I was no longer a child and so my mother could no longer sing that special tune to me? Nowadays, with my mother long gone, I find that particular song even more poignant

I’m interested in the traditional methods of baby care, and I’m especially taken by some of the earlier baby garments. I have a collection of Victorian and Edwardian baby gowns, and the exquisite hand-sewing is often breath-taking. The gowns frequently feature dozens of narrow pin tucks, or borders of feather stitches. Sometimes there are delicate lace inserts or embroidered panels. Many of the Victorian gowns are really small, almost doll-sized – babies were smaller in those days. These gowns tended to have a scoop neck and fairly short sleeves, as opposed to the Edwardian gowns which had wrist-length or elbow-length sleeves and round necks. The Edwardian gowns were shorter than the Victorian ones, too. Sometimes I get a magnifying glass to examine the stitching,  wondering how on earth those women, often working in poor light, managed to achieve such tiny, straight stitches. Next time you’re browsing a secondhand shop or collectors’ market, take a look at these beautiful creations and marvel.