I Cannot Sing

I cannot sing, because when a child,
   My mother often hushed me.
The others she allowed to sing,
   No matter what their melody.

And since I’ve grown to manhood
   All music I applaud,
But have no voice for singing,
   So I write my songs to God.

I have ears and know the measures,
   And I’ll write a song for you,
But the world must do the singing
   Of my sonnets old and new.

Now tell me, world of music,
   Why I cannot sing one song?
Is it because my mother hushed me
   And laughed when I was wrong?

Although I can write music,
   And tell when harmony’s right,
I will never sing better than when
   My song was hushed one night.

Fond mothers, always be careful;
   Let the songs be poorly sung.
To hush the child is cruel;
   Let it sing while it is young.