When from dawn till noon seems one long day,
And from noon till night another,
O then should a little boy come from play,
And creep into the arms of his mother.
Snugly creep and fall asleep,
O come, my baby, do,
Creep into my lap, and with a nap
We'll break the day in two.
When the shadows slant for afternoon,
When the midday meal is over,
When the winds have sung themselves into a swoon,
And the bees drone in the clover,
Then hie to me, hie, for a lullaby,
Come, my baby, do,
Creep into my lap, and with a nap
We'll break the day in two.
We'll break it in two with a crooning song,
With a soft and soothing number,
For the day has no right to be so long,
And keep my baby from slumber.
Then rock-a-by, rock, may white dreams flock,
Like angels, over you--
Baby's gone, and the deed is done,
We've broken the day in two.
The Beautiful Land of Nod by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Chicago: Morrill, Higgins & Co. [1892]
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