The shepherd | How sweet is the Shepherd's sweet lot!

How sweet is the Shepherd's sweet lot!

Language: English

Available translation(s): CAT

How sweet is the Shepherd's sweet lot!
   From the morn to the evening he strays;
He shall follow his sheep all the day,
   And his tongue shall be fillèd with praise.

For he hears the lamb's innocent call,
   And he hears the ewe's tender reply;
He is watchful [while]¹ they are in peace,
   For they know when their Shepherd is nigh.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Cooke: "when"

Text Authorship:

by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The shepherd", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 2, first published 1789 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Murray Adaskin (1906 - 2002), "The shepherd", 1934 [sung text not yet checked]
by Samuel Hans Adler (b. 1928), "The shepherd", published 1974 [ mixed chorus and band ], from Serenade, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by Keith Warren Bissell (1912 - 1992), "The shepherd", published 1959 [ SSA chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
by William Bolcom (b. 1938), "The shepherd", 1956-81 [ solo voices, chorus, orchestra ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
by (William) Havergal Brian (1876 - 1972), "Pastoral - The shepherd", 1914, published c1922 [ SSA chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Lee Hastings Bristol (1923 - 1979), "The shepherd", published 1951, from The Lamb and Other New Carols, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Harry Brook (1893 - ?), "The shepherd", published 1928 [ vocal duet with piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by John Callis Brydson (b. 1900), "The shepherd", published 1949, from Of a Shepherd and a Lamb, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
by William Busch (1901 - 1945), "The shepherd", published 1944, from Two Songs of William Blake, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Nigel Henry Butterley (1935 - 2022), "The shepherd", op. 2 no. 4 (1956), from Six Blake Songs, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
by (Henry) Elliot Button (1861 - ?), "The shepherd", published 1892, from Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
by Vincent Henry Palmer Caillard, Sir (1856 - 1930), "The shepherd", published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from The Songs of Innocence of William Blake, no. 2, London : Novello, Ewer & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
by Alice Upton Close , "The shepherd", published c1934 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Gwendolyn Avril Coleridge-Taylor (1903 - 1998), "The shepherd", 1948 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Arnold Atkinson Cooke (1906 - 2005), "The shepherd", 1956, published 1960 [ soprano, clarinet in A, and piano ], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
by John Charlton Crawford (b. 1931), "The shepherd", published 1965 [ soprano, piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Norman Curtis (b. 1933), "The shepherd", c1959 [ voice and piano ], from William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Harold Edwin Darke (1888 - 1977), "The shepherd", published c1911 [ medium voice and piano ], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 1, London: Stainer & Bell [sung text not yet checked]
by (Henry) Walford Davies, Sir (1869 - 1941), "The shepherd", op. 4 no. 4, published 1900 [ SSA chorus a cappella ], from Four Songs of Innocence, no. 4, London: Novello [sung text not yet checked]
by (Henry) Walford Davies, Sir (1869 - 1941), "The shepherd", published c1931 [ voice and piano ], London : Novello [sung text not yet checked]
by Norman Frank Demuth (1898 - 1968), "The shepherd", published c1938 [ unison chorus and piano ], London : W. Paxton and Co., in Modern Songs for Children of All Ages, 3rd set, no. 80256 [sung text not yet checked]
by Celius Dougherty (1902 - 1986), "The shepherd", 1957, first performed 1957 [ SATB chorus ], from The Happy Shepherd, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by Thomas Frederick Dunhill (1877 - 1946), "The shepherd", op. 43 no. 1, published c1915 [ medium voice and piano ], from Countryside Ditties, no. 1, London : Augener [sung text not yet checked]
by Dilys Elwyn-Edwards, née Roberts (b. 1918), "The shepherd", 1968, published 1970 [ unison chorus and piano ], in The New Welsh Baptist Hymnal (Cyhoedded San Undeb y Bedyddwyr Cymori) [sung text not yet checked]
by Leonard Enns (b. 1948), "The shepherd", 1974, published c1983, rev. 1978, first performed 1979 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2, Waterloo, Ont. : Waterloo Music Co. [sung text not yet checked]
by Kenneth George Finlay (1882 - 1974), "The shepherd" [ SSA chorus with optional piano and descant recorder ] [sung text not yet checked]
by John Frandsen (b. 1956), "The shepherd", 1984 [ soprano and guitar ], from Songs of Innocence II, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
by Earl Robert George (b. 1924), "The shepherd", published c1956 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2, Evanston, IL : Summy-Birchard Co. [sung text not yet checked]
by Richard Franko Goldman (1910 - 1980), "The shepherd", 1929, published c1952 [ medium voice and piano ], from Two Poems of William Blake, no. 2, NY : Mercury Music Corp. [sung text not yet checked]
by Ole Carsten Green (b. 1922), "The shepherd", op. 27b no. 2 (1973) [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Geoffrey Gwyther , "The shepherd", published 1917 [ medium voice and piano ], from Seven Poems from Blake's "Songs of Innocence", no. 2, London, The Poetry Bookshop [sung text not yet checked]
by Alfred Matthew Hale (1875 - 1960), "The shepherd", op. 16 no. 2, published 1910 [ voice and piano ], from Twelve Songs, no. 2, London : A. Lengnick [sung text not yet checked]
by Colin Hand (1929 - 2015), "The shepherd", published 1957 [ SS chorus and piano ], from Songs of Pleasure, no. 2, London : Novello [sung text not yet checked]
by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "The shepherd", op. 13 (Seven songs) no. 4 (1913) [ voice and piano ], first setting [sung text not yet checked]
by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "The shepherd", op. 158 (A Set of Five Songs) no. 5 (1945) [ voice and piano ], second setting [sung text not yet checked]
by Christian Victor Hely-Hutchinson (1901 - 1947), "The shepherd", published c1932 [ women's chorus or boys' chorus and piano or strings ], from The Echoing Green and Other Songs, from Blake's Songs of Innocence, no. 2, London : Elkin & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
by Gary Michael Higginson (b. 1952), "The shepherd", op. 55 no. 2 (1981-2) [ SATB chorus with divisions a cappella ], from Seven Songs of William Blake, Set II, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Lee Hoiby (1926 - 2011), "The shepherd", from Two Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
by Joseph Holbrooke (1878 - 1958), "The shepherd", op. 130 no. 4 (1934), from Songs of Innocence, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
by Amy Elise Horrocks (1867 - 1919), "The shepherd", published 1900 [ unison chorus ], from Four Songs, no. 2, London : Augener [sung text not yet checked]
by Helen C. Howarth , "The shepherd", published c1909 [ medium voice and piano ], from 7 songs of William Blake, no. 5, London ; New York : Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
by Herbert Norman Howells (1892 - 1983), "The shepherd", op. 11 no. 1, published c1916 [ SA chorus with piano ], London : J. Curwen [sung text not yet checked]
by Chester Edward Ide (1878 - 1944), "The shepherd ", c1928 [ vocal duet for treble voices a cappella ], from Songs of Innocence -- Eight Poems by William Blake, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Paul A. Irby , "The shepherd", published c1928 [ voice and piano ], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 1, London, Wellington Music Publ. Co. [sung text not yet checked]
by Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob (1895 - 1984), "The shepherd ", 1922, published 1926 [ soprano and string trio ], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 2, London : Oxford University Press [sung text not yet checked]
by (John) Michael Jacques (b. 1944), "The shepherd", 1966 [ soprano voices and piano with optional accompaniment for strings, 2 clarinets, and piano ], from Six Songs of Innocence, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
by Mabel Jennings , "The shepherd", published 1907 [ voice and piano ], from Five Songs of Innocence, no. 1, Oxford : Sydney Acott, Harris & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
by Percy Charles Judd (1892 - ?), "The shepherd ", published c1930 [ unison chorus a cappella ], London : Hawkes & Son [sung text not yet checked]
by John Brodbin Kennedy , "The shepherd ", published c1965 [ TTB chorus a cappella ], NY : Boosey & Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
by Richard Bamford Lane (1933 - 2004), "The shepherd ", 1974, first performed 1974 [ SSA chorus and strings ], from Some Songs of Innocence, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by André Laporte (b. 1931), "The shepherd", 1979, published c1983 [ SSSS chorus a cappella ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 5, Kontich, Belgium : De notenboom [sung text not yet checked]
by Kerry Glenn Lewis (b. 1948), "How sweet is the Shepherd's sweet lot ", 1973 [ SSAA chorus a cappella ], from Three William Blake Songs for Treble Voices, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by (John) Rodney Lister (b. 1951), "The shepherd", 1974, first performed 1977 [ unison children's chorus, recorders, percussion, and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Joan Littlejohn (b. 1937), "The shepherd ", 1967-70, first performed 1971 [ voice and piano ], from Blakes Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Showing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul, Part I : Songs of Innocence, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by Bertram Luard-Selby (1853 - 1918), "The shepherd's sweet lot", published c1908 [ 2-part women's chorus with piano ], London : Novello [sung text not yet checked]
by James Lyon (1872 - 1949), "The shepherd", op. 68 no. 4, published c1920 [ SSAA chorus a cappella ], London : Stainer & Bell [sung text not yet checked]
by Edith MacDonald , "The shepherd", published 1879 [ medium voice and piano ], London : Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
by Charles T. Maclary , "The shepherd ", published 1941 [ unison or 2-part treble chorus a cappella ], from Nine Happy Songs, from Songs of Innocence of William Blake, no. 4, Philadelphia : Elkan-Vogel Co. [sung text not yet checked]
by George Frederick McKay (1899 - 1970), "The shepherd", published 1963 [ SSA chorus and piano ], Delaware Water Gap, PA : Shawnee Press (Flammer) [sung text not yet checked]
by Olga Mills , "The shepherd", published c1927 [ voice, piano, and flute or violin obbligato ], London : Oxford University Press [sung text not yet checked]
by John O'Kill , "The shepherd", published c1962 [ unison chorus or voice and piano ], London : Chappell [sung text not yet checked]
by Robin Orr (1909 - 2006), "The shepherd", 1929, first performed 1932 [ voice and string quartet ], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by Donald Patriquin (b. 1938), "The shepherd ", 1984 [ SSAA chorus, harp, and flute ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by Malcolm Cameron Peyton (b. 1932), "The shepherd ", 1962 [ TB chorus, horns, and strings ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Mark Raphael (b. 1900), "The shepherd ", 1945, published c1963 [ voice and piano ], London : Elkin ; NY : Galaxy Music Corp. [sung text not yet checked]
by Ellen Raskin (1928 - 1984), "The shepherd", published 1966 [ voice and piano or guitar ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2, Garden City, NY : Doubleday [sung text not yet checked]
by Louisa Raymond , "The shepherd", published 1961 [ soprano and orchestra ], from A Group of Songs for Seana, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
by Hugh Stevenson Roberton, Sir (1874 - 1952), "The shepherd ", published c1952 [ chorus and piano ], London : J. Curwen [sung text not yet checked]
by (William Herbert) Mervyn Roberts (1906 - 1990), "The shepherd ", 1940 [ soprano and piano ], from Four Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
by Michael Edward Rose (b. 1934), "The shepherd ", published c1968 [ voices, recorders, and piano ], from Three Country Songs, no. 2, London : Chappell & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
by Alec Rowley (1892 - 1958), "The shepherd ", published 1953 [ mixed chorus and accompaniment ], from Song in Maytime, no. 6, London : Novello [sung text not yet checked]
by Charles Shadle (b. 1960), "The shepherd", 1999 [ vocal sextet a cappella ], from Three Songs of Innocence and a Song of Experience, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Cecil Sharman (1894 - ?), "The shepherd ", published c1927 [ unison chorus ], London : J. Williams [sung text not yet checked]
by Johannes Somary (b. 1935), "The shepherd", 1973, first performed 1974 [ duet for soprano and baritone with piano ], from Six Songs of Innocence, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by Masters van Someren-Godfery (d. 1947), "The shepherd", published c1952 [ voice and piano ], from Six Blake Songs, no. 3, London : Augener [sung text not yet checked]
by Arthur Somervell, Sir (1863 - 1937), "The shepherd", published 1889 [ voice and piano ], from Five Songs of Innocence (formerly Four Songs of Innocence), no. 1, London, Stanley Lucas & Co.; first setting [sung text not yet checked]
by Arthur Somervell, Sir (1863 - 1937), "How sweet is the shepherd's sweet lot!", published 1911 [ voice and piano ], from The Twins' Tune Book, no. 11, second setting [sung text not yet checked]
by Ronald Stevenson (b. 1928), "The shepherd", 1948-50, rev. 1965 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2, another version exists for voice, flute, and string quintet (composed 1966-71) [sung text not yet checked]
by Dorothy Wauchope Stewart , "The shepherd", published c1926 [ unison and 2-part treble chorus ], from Eight Songs of Innocence, no. 2, London : H. W. F. Deane & Sons, The Year Book Press [sung text not yet checked]
by Anthony Strilko (b. 1931), "The shepherd", 1960? [ high voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
by William Henry Swinburne , "The shepherd", published 1950 [ female voices and piano or harp ], from Five Miniatures for Female Voices and Piano (or Harp), no. 2, London : Boosey & Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
by John Austin Sykes (1909 - 1962), "The shepherd", 1935-6, first performed 1975 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by Jean Taylor , "The shepherd ", published c1926, from Three Songs of Innocence, NY : Elva W. Wilcox [sung text not yet checked]
by Eric Harding Thiman (1900 - 1975), "The shepherd ", published c1926 [ high voice and piano ], London : Augener (Galliard) [sung text not yet checked]
by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958), "The shepherd", 1957, published 1958 [ voice and oboe ], from Ten Blake Songs, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Ernest Walker (1870 - 1949), "The shepherd", op. 7 no. 1, published 1898 [ SS chorus or SA chorus and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1, London : J. Williams [sung text not yet checked]
by William Wallace (1860 - 1940), "The shepherd ", published c1911 [ medium voice and piano ], from Three Songs, no. 3, London : Stainer & Bell [sung text not yet checked]
by Rudolph T. Werther (1896 - 1986), "The shepherd " [ voice and piano ], from Book of Religious Songs, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]
by John Ebenezer West (1863 - 1929), "The shepherd", published c1918 [ vocal trio for three treble voices a cappella ], partsong; in Junior Songs [sung text not yet checked]
by Robert Paul Wetzler (b. 1932), "The shepherd ", published c1984 [ SSAA chorus, harp (or piano), oboe, and violin ], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 1, Minneapolis : AMSI, commissioned by Augsburg College Chorale, 1982 [sung text not yet checked]
by John David White (b. 1931), "The shepherd ", first performed 1957 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Philip George Wilkinson (b. 1929), "The shepherd ", published c1955 [ unison chorus and piano ], London : Novello [sung text not yet checked]
by Patrick Williams (1905 - 1985), "The shepherd ", published c1950 [ vocal duet for 2 treble voices and piano ], London : Bosworth & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
by Roderick Williams (b. 1965), "The Shepherd" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Julie Lofgren Wolford , "The shepherd", published c1975 [ medium voice and piano ], Delaware Water Gap, PA : H. Flammer ; the text also includes a paraphrase of Psalm 23 [sung text not yet checked]
by Amy Worth (1888 - 1967), "The shepherd", published c1926 [ high voice or medium voice and piano ], NY : G. Schirmer [sung text not yet checked]
by Ruth Shaw Wylie (b. 1916), "The shepherd", op. 13 no. 4 (1950, c1974), published 1977 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Five Madrigals to Poems by William Blake, from Songs of Innocence and Experience, no. 4, West Babylon, NY : Branch [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Researcher for this page: Ted Perry

This text was added to the website: 2003-12-11
Line count: 8
Word count: 61

Help us stay free of annoying ads