The Lamb - William Blake
/The Lamb - William Blake/
A Gentle Meditation on Innocence and Creation
Original (Line 1): Little Lamb, who made thee?
English (Line 1): Little Lamb, who made thee?
Original (Line 2): Dost thou know who made thee,
English (Line 2): Do you know who formed you,
Original (Line 3): Gave thee life, and bid thee feed
English (Line 3): Gave you life, and bade you feed
Original (Line 4): By the stream and o’er the mead;
English (Line 4): By the brook and across the meadow;
Original (Line 5): Gave thee clothing of delight,
English (Line 5): Gave you a covering so delightful,
Original (Line 6): Softest clothing woolly bright;
English (Line 6): Soft, woolly, and shining white;
Original (Line 7): Gave thee such a tender voice,
English (Line 7): Gave you so tender a voice,
Original (Line 8): Making all the vales rejoice?
English (Line 8): That makes all the valleys rejoice?
Original (Line 9): Little Lamb, who made thee?
English (Line 9): Little Lamb, who made you?
Original (Line 10): Dost thou know who made thee?
English (Line 10): Do you know who gave you being?
Original (Line 11): Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee,
English (Line 11): Little Lamb, I will tell you,
Original (Line 12): Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee:
English (Line 12): Little Lamb, I will share the truth:
Original (Line 13): He is called by thy name,
English (Line 13): He is named just as you are,
Original (Line 14): For He calls Himself a Lamb.
English (Line 14): For He refers to Himself as a Lamb.
Original (Line 15): He is meek, and He is mild,
English (Line 15): He is meek and He is gentle,
Original (Line 16): He became a little child;
English (Line 16): He came as a little child;
Original (Line 17): I a child, and thou a lamb,
English (Line 17): I am a child, and you are a lamb,
Original (Line 18): We are called by His name.
English (Line 18): We share in His very name.
Original (Line 19): Little Lamb, God bless thee!
English (Line 19): Little Lamb, may God bless you!
Original (Line 20): Little Lamb, God bless thee!
English (Line 20): Little Lamb, may God bless you!
Excerpt from William Blake’s The Lamb (1789), part of Songs of Innocence. This poem is in the public domain.
William Blake’s “The Lamb,” included in his collection Songs of Innocence (1789), stands as a gentle, childlike meditation on the source of all life and goodness. In the poem, the speaker addresses a lamb directly—both a literal creature and a symbol of purity—to pose the question of who created it. This query draws upon religious imagery, linking the lamb to the figure of Christ (“He calls Himself a Lamb”) and therefore presenting a vision of a nurturing, benevolent Creator.
Throughout the poem, Blake employs simple language that carries profound spiritual resonance. The lamb’s soft fleece and tender voice hint at the poem’s central idea: that innocence and kindness reflect the divine nature. By emphasizing the direct parallel between the child in the poem and the lamb, Blake suggests that human innocence likewise mirrors the gentle aspect of God.
“The Lamb” complements Blake’s other famous work, “The Tyger,” which appears in Songs of Experience. Where “The Tyger” questions the coexistence of fearsome power and gentle creation, “The Lamb” underscores humanity’s deep longing for a loving, protective Maker. In the end, this poem leaves readers with an optimistic, almost lullaby-like assurance that divine grace watches over life’s more delicate forms.
Key points
1. The lamb serves as a dual symbol of innocence and Christ-like gentleness.
2. Blake’s childlike language highlights purity, compassion, and spiritual simplicity.
3. “The Lamb” contrasts with “The Tyger,” together exploring dual aspects of creation.
4. The poem reflects Blake’s vision of a nurturing, benevolent divine presence.
