The Lamb
John Tavener Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dost thou know who made thee
Gave thee life & bid thee feed.
By the stream & o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice!
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Little Lamb I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb I'll tell thee!
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb:
He is meek & he is mild,
He became a little child:
I a child & thou a lamb,
We are called by his name.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
John Tavener's song "The Lamb" is a beautiful and contemplative piece of music, based on a poem by William Blake. It explores the themes of creation, innocence, and the divine, through the metaphor of a little lamb. The first verse asks the lamb if it knows who made it, and describes the various gifts that have been given to it, such as life, food, and a soft woolly coat. The refrain emphasizes the question of who made the lamb, suggesting that it is a mystery that deserves further reflection.
In the second verse, the singer responds to the lamb's question, telling it that the answer is that God made it, and that God is like a lamb as well, embodying qualities of meekness and mildness. The final lines of the second verse link the lamb and the singer together as children of God, calling for God's blessing upon the lamb. Overall, the poem and the song evoke a sense of wonder and gratitude for the beauty of creation and the presence of the divine.
Line by Line Meaning
Little Lamb who made thee
Who created you, O little lamb?
Dost thou know who made thee
Do you know who created you?
Gave thee life & bid thee feed.
Gave you life and commanded you to graze.
By the stream & o'er the mead;
Near the water and across the meadow,
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Provided you with beautiful fur,
Softest clothing wooly bright;
That which is soft and bright with wool,
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Gave you a gentle and pleasant voice,
Making all the vales rejoice!
Bringing joy to all the valleys!
Little Lamb I'll tell thee,
I will tell you, little lamb,
He is called by thy name,
He is known by the same name as you,
For he calls himself a Lamb:
Because he himself calls himself a lamb,
He is meek & he is mild,
He is gentle and submissive,
He became a little child:
He became a little child,
I a child & thou a lamb,
I am a child and you are a lamb,
We are called by his name.
We are both named after him.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
May God bless you, O little lamb.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
May God bless you, O little lamb.
Contributed by Alexandra K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@modernmusicofthedarkages296
I was at a art camp last week and there was a one day workshop where they sang this and prepared it for performance. In the evening, we, the audience, were placed in a room on the floor with the choir in a circle around us singing this song. Incredible experience!
@Likes_Trains
I sang this yeeeeears ago, never could remember the name of it. So chilling, really incredible piece.
@Kopftaube
I am currently singing this in my choir, practising for two concerts in December. This one is definietly my favourite in our program. So beautiful.
@shermoore1693
I have only just discovered this. It's beautiful. Now I want to find out more about John Tavener....thanks for posting.
@SilveniumTheDrifter
Same!
@alexanderoutlander.1040
I recommend you the film "the tree of life" of Terrence Malick. You'll discover there a lot of similar music and an a superb film.
@shermoore1693
@@alexanderoutlander.1040 Many thanks Alexander. The title of the film sounds interesting too!
@alexanderoutlander.1040
@@shermoore1693 You're welcome. You'll enjoy it believe me.
@shermoore1693
@@alexanderoutlander.1040 :)
@kumoticc
On the one hand, this piece gives me goosebumps and brings tears to my eyes.
On the other hand, I admire how mathematically correct some parts are, how notes of a bar mirrors and creates a symmetry in the following bar.