Heigho, my Dearie by Eugene Field
A moonbeam, a brownie, and the night wind each address a dear child with “Heigho, my dearie.” The moonbeam promises to spin a silver web before the child’s eyes, revealing a radiant distant garden where tinkling lilies sway and snow-white lambkins play. The brownie emerges from the vine and offers a song of a misty land, asking that the moonbeam’s shining web be spread while it sings through the night. The night wind brings a mariner’s prayer, urging the moonbeam to veil the child’s eyes and the brownie to sing lullabies; it promises to rock and kiss the child while the prayer keeps watch over the bed.
By Eugene Field · First published 1894 · Genre: Lullaby Poetry, Children's Poetry, Lyric Poetry · 279 words
First lines
A moonbeam floateth from the skies, / Whispering: "Heigho, my dearie; / I would spin a web before your eyes -- / A beautiful web of silver light / Wherein is many a wondrous sight / Of a radiant garden leagues away, / Where the softly tinkling lilies sway / And the snow-white lambkins are at play -- / Heigho, my dearie!"
A brownie stealeth from the vine, / Singing: "Heigho, my dearie; / And will you hear this song of mine -- / A song of the land of murk and mist / Where bideth the bud the dew hath kist? / Then let the moonbeam's web of light / Be spun before thee silvery white, / And I shall sing the livelong night -- / Heigho, my dearie!"
Similar titles
- A Lullaby by Helen Gray Cone
- The Rock A By Lady English by Eugene Field
- Slumber Song by Marie Van Vorst
- A Springtime Lullaby by Ruth Collie
- So So Rock A By So English by Eugene Field
- A Bed Time Song by Ruth Collie
Genres
- Lullaby Poetry — The poem repeatedly addresses a childlike listener with soothing refrains, sleep imagery, lullabies, rocking, and protection through the night.
- Children's Poetry — Its gentle musical language, fanciful imagery, lambkins, moonbeams, and bedtime setting are characteristic of verse written for children.
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a short, highly musical poem focused on mood, sound, repetition, and evocative imagery rather than narrative development.
- Fantasy Poetry — Moonbeams weave magical webs, a brownie sings, and the speaker evokes radiant gardens and dreamlike supernatural landscapes.
Tags
children's poetry · lullaby · bedtime · sleep · dreams · moonlight · moonbeam · night wind · brownie folklore · fairyland · fantasy · mariner's prayer
What this Textopian page supports
Heigho, my Dearie is listed on Textopian as a poem by Eugene Field, dated 1894 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Eugene Field
- Date: 1894 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lullaby Poetry, Children's Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Fantasy Poetry, Nursery Rhyme
- Length: 279 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Heigho, my Dearie by Eugene Field
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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