Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

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Hey There!

With working on the nursery and gathering up things to get ready for Little Bit’s arrival, The Fellow and I have been thinking about some newborn advice we were given.

A lady at work told us that the one thing she advises all new parents is to pick a song and sing or hum it all the time. That way when the baby arrives, she will respond and calm when you sing it.

I’ve been pondering what song we should pick, and I think I’ve more or less settled on “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.” As far as lullabies go, it’s one of my favorites. I love the imagery of it so much, and since the tune of the verses repeat, it works well to hum and hopefully be remembered. I was singing it in the car the other day, and I caught The Fellow humming it later that day, so I think it will work for both of us.

If you’re unfamiliar with it, check out the lyrics below or the song version here. It was originally written as a poem which was published in 1889 under the title “Dutch Lullaby,” and it works so well as a lullaby.

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
  sailed off in a wooden shoe —
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
  into a sea of dew.
“Where are you going, and what do you wish?”
  the old moon asked the three.
“We have come to fish for the herring fish
  that live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!”
  said Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,
  as they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long
  ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish
  that lived in that beautiful sea —
“Now cast your nets wherever you wish —
  never afraid are we;”
So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
  Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

All night long their nets they threw
  to the stars in the twinkling foam —
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
  bringing the fishermen home;
‘Twas all so pretty a sail, it seemed
  as if it could not be,
And some folks thought ’twas a dream they’d dreamed
  of sailing that beautiful sea —
But I shall name you the fishermen three:
  Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
  and Nod is a little head,
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
  is a wee one’s trundle-bed.
So shut your eyes while Mother sings
  of wonderful sights that be,
And you shall see the beautiful things
  as you rock in the misty sea,
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:
  Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.