Poemsby William Blake

The Shepherd

Introduction

 Piping down the valleys wild,
   Piping songs of pleasant glee,
 On a cloud I saw a child,
   And he laughing said to me:

 "Pipe a song about a Lamb!"
   So I piped with merry cheer.
 "Piper, pipe that song again;"
   So I piped: he wept to hear.

 
 "Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe;
   Sing thy songs of happy cheer:!"
 So I sang the same again,
   While he wept with joy to hear.

 
 "Piper, sit thee down and write
   In a book, that all may read."
 So he vanish'd from my sight;
   And I pluck'd a hollow reed,

 
 And I made a rural pen,
   And I stain'd the water clear,
 And I wrote my happy songs
   Every child may joy to hear.

Contents

The Shepherd