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The Little Black Boy Lyrics by Virgil Thomson

Five Songs From William Blake

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My mother bore me in the southern wild
And I am black, but O! my soul is white!
White as an angel is the English child
But I am black, as if bereaved of light
My mother taught me underneath a tree
And, sitting down before the heat of day
She took me on her lap and kissèd me
And, pointing to the East, began to say:
"Look [at]2 the rising sun: there God does live
And gives His light, and gives His heat away
And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive
Comfort in morning, joy in the noonday
"And we are put on earth a little space
That we may learn to bear the beams of love;
And these black bodies and this sunburnt face
[Are]1 but a cloud, and like a shady grove
"For when our souls have learn'd the heat to bear
The cloud will vanish; we shall hear His voice
Saying: `Come out from the grove, my love and care
And round my golden tent like lambs rejoice.' "
Thus did my mother say, and kissèd me;
And thus I say to little English boy:
When I from black and he from white cloud free
And round the tent of God like lambs we joy
I'll shade him from the heat till he can bear
To lean in joy upon our Father's knee;
And then I'll stand and stroke his silver hair
And be like him, and he will then love me
Credits
Virgil Thomson

Virgil Thomson

About “The Little Black Boy” by Virgil Thomson

Read the complete lyrics to "The Little Black Boy" by Virgil Thomson from the album "Five Songs From William Blake". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"The Little Black Boy" is performed by Virgil Thomson. from the album "Five Songs From William Blake" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Little Black Boy", explore more songs by Virgil Thomson using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"The Little Black Boy" is credited to Virgil Thomson. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Little Black Boy" appears on "Five Songs From William Blake".

Visit the Virgil Thomson artist page at /artist/virgil-thomson for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.