William Blake: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Songs of Innocence/On Another's Sorrow

William Blake

“Songs of Innocence/On Another's Sorrow” as printed in Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1826) (1826).

William Blake: Collected Lyrics Text 14 1826 · historical text
Public domainSong lyricsRomantic
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1826), a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Transcription(contributor provided)

On Anothers Sorrow

Verse 2

Can I see anothers woe,

And not be in sorrow too.

Can I see anothers grief,

And not seek for kind relief.

Verse 3

Can I see a falling tear,

And not feel my sorrows share.

Can a father see his child,

Weep, nor be with sorrow fill'd.

Verse 4

Can a mother sit and hear,

An infant groan an infant fear—

No no never can it be,

Never never can it be.

Verse 5

And can he who smiles on all

Hear the wren with sorrows small,

Hear the small birds grief & care

Hear the woes that infants bear—

Verse 6

And not sit beside the nest

Pouring pity in their breast,

And not sit the cradle near

Weeping tear on infants tear,

Verse 7

And not sit both night & day,

Wiping all our tears away,

O! no never can it be,

Never never can it be.

Verse 8

He doth give his joy to all,

He becomes an infant small,

He becomes a man of woe,

He doth feel the sorrow too

Verse 9

Think not thou canst sigh a sigh,

And thy maker is not by,

Think not thou canst weep a tear,

And thy maker is not near.

Verse 10

O! he gives to us his joy,

That our grief he may destroy

Till our grief is fled & gone

He doth sit by us and moan

Credits

Written by William Blake

Words by William Blake. Historical text published in Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1826) (1826); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1826) (1826), “Songs of Innocence/On Another's Sorrow”

Every text in this 1826 collection is by William Blake (1757-1827), who died more than 190 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-25. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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