The sunset deepens in the West, Faint shadows drift across the sky; So sleep, dear heart, on mother's breast, And rock away to dreamy rest To her low, soothing lullaby. The night-wind breathes across the plain; The moonbeams shed a luster bright; The cattle low a weird refrain Upon the star-lit summer night. By-low, babe, oh, rockaby! By-low, babe, oh, hushaby! Down along the winding trail thy daddy rides where shadows creep. So-ho, baby, close thine eyes! By-low, babe, the sunset dies! Sleep, my little prairie wildflower, lullaby, oh, sleep! Upon the mesa, bare and brown, The slinking, gaunt coyotes prowl; And hark! upon the silent air, In ghostly cadence echoing there, Floats forth the gray wolf's mournful howl, The cowboy's song rings loud and clear, As 'round the bedded herd he rides; And from the stunted sagebrush near The sluggish rattler smoothly glides. By-low, babe, oh, rockaby! By-low, babe, oh, hushaby! O'er the rugged buttes and foothills golden moonbeams shyly peep. So-ho, baby, close thine eyes! Dream to mother's lullabies! Sleep, my little prairie wildflower, lullaby, oh, sleep! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TO W.P.: 1 by GEORGE SANTAYANA HOW IT STRIKES A CONTEMPORARY by ROBERT BROWNING SNOW-FLAKES by MARY ELIZABETH MAPES DODGE THE NATIONAL PAINTINGS: COL. TRUMBULL'S 'THE DECLARATION...' by FITZ-GREENE HALLECK THE TERRIBLE SONNETS: 3 by GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS THE VOYAGE by CAROLINE ATHERTON BRIGGS MASON |