A ring of gold for you, my son,  
Set with jewels, for you to wear  
Around your pretty baby hair.  
Such a sparkling surprise!  
I see it glitter in your eyes.  
Ah, no-too heavy for a little one.  
Watch it turning in my hand.  

See diamonds bright  
Like stars that light the sky at night,  
Or dew-spheres on the morning grass,  
Sun mirrors, my son,  
That catch the light like glass.  

Sapphires bluer than the sky  
Bluer, yes, than Galilee,  
Than the distant western sea,  
Bluer than your smiling eyes  
Gazing up at me.  

Oh pretty rubies! Drops of wine,  
Red as the royal robes of kings,  
Redder than the fresh turned earth,  
Red as the berries on the briar,  
Cold, but red and flashing fire.  

Pearls, moon-white, lustre-light,  
Smooth as the dogwood flower, my son,  
White as the dove against the sea,  
Pale as cloud-light, pale as death-white,  
Pale as the hand you reach to me.  

Topaz, gold as the evening cloud,  
Golden as the morning sky,  
Gold as a temple vase, my child,  
Golden, golden, as the sun,  
A shaft of sun behind a tree.  

Emeralds green as new spring grass  
After-rain,areen, April field green,  
Green as the rain washed trees we pass,  
Deep as the figs where sparrows sing.  

Diamonds bright  
Like stars that light the sky at night,  
Like riplets on a running stream  
That leap the rill to catch the gleam  
And dew-spheres on the morning grass,  
Sun mirrors, my son,  
That catch the light like tears.  

Now we have turned the circle around  
We'll put the pretty toy away  
And save it for another day.  
It's much too large as yet, we've found.  
Now go to sleep my pretty boy.  
Go to sleep my son.  
I'll watch until the morning comes.