William Blake

SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND OF EXPERIENCE
and THE BOOK of THEL





SONGS OF INNOCENCE


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