Dawn of Day Lyrics
Someone is calling a sleeper out of bed to see the morning. Birds are out showing their feathers, the forest is full of song and the garden is opening its roses. Each verse closes on the same words: at dawn of day.
Dawn of Day
Come, arise from thy sleep,
Through the window now peep;
Birds sweetly are straying,
Their bright plumes displaying,
At dawn of day.
Let us breathe the fresh air,
For the morning is fair,
And the forest is ringing
With merry birds singing,
At dawn of day.
Come along for a talk,
Or a sweet morning walk,
While the garden discloses
Its bright blushing roses,
At dawn of day.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/dawn-of-day/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Tune
- Bright and coaxing, rising a little on 'come', and the refrain sung softly
- Best for ages
- 3 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Through the window now peep | Make two hands into a frame and peek through it. |
| Let us breathe the fresh air | Take a slow, deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. |
What Does Dawn of Day Mean?
The poem is an invitation, and each verse adds a reason to get up. The first says the birds are already out, displaying their bright plumes, which means showing off their feathers. The second says the morning is fair and the forest is ringing with birdsong. The third offers a talk or a walk while the garden discloses, or opens up to show, its blushing roses.
The speaker is not named and neither is the sleeper, so a parent can read it as a morning call to the child. The refrain At dawn of day closes all three verses. In real life birds sing most at dawn, so the poem is a good match for a quiet early-morning listen.
History and Origin
This morning poem was in the 1911 revision of a children's collection first made in 1884. It sits in a long tradition of morning poems, in which waking up is made to sound like a treat.
Learning Activities
- Dawn chorus: on a clear morning, open a window early and count how many different bird calls you can hear.
- Window peep: look out together before breakfast and name three things you can see.
- Refrain turn: let the child say at dawn of day at the end of each verse.
- Morning walk: take a short walk before school or work and look for roses or other flowers opening.