A Variation on "To Say to Go to Sleep"
(1984)- Music by Scott Wheeler
- Text by Randall Jarrell
"A Variation on 'To Say to Go to Sleep'" is the second song in Scott Wheeler's song cycle Singing to Sleep.
Adapted from Rainer Maria Rilke
by Randall Jarrell
If I could, I would sing you to sleep.
I would give you my hand to keep
In yours till you fell asleep,
And take it away then, slowly.
I would sit by you and be.
In the world the dark would be deep.
I would watch. And at last I would sleep.
But if rain should star the stream
Of your sleep, I would whisper: “See
You are asleep”; and slowly,
Your breath would change in your dream
Till, ages and ages deep
In the dark, you would say to me:
“I love you.”
I love you,
But I am here always. Sleep now. Sleep.