Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep…
This delightful old English prayer said by children and their parents at bedtime has long ago been shortened to only its last verse. There is more (as I was taught):
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
Bless the bed that I lie on.
The are four corners to my bed,
Four angels round my head,
One to watch, and one to pray,
And two to bear my soul away.
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
If you know more of the tradition of this prayer please share it.
November 5, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Thanks for providing more of the prayer than I was accostomed to. It reminds me of:
Evening Prayer from the opera Hansel and Gretel
Engelbert Humperdinck
When at night I go to sleep,
Fourteen angels watch do keep:
Two my head are guarding,
Two my feet are guiding,
Two are on my right hand,
Two are on my left hand,
Two who warmly cover,
Two who o’er me hover,
Two to whom ‘tis given to guide my steps to heaven.
November 5, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Many children who learn only the last for lines these days learn this:
Now I lay me down to sleep;
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
Thy love guard me through the night,
And wake me with the morning light.
——
This is to remove any reference of scary death. My son was taught this version in Sunday School; when I told him the “scary” version, he insisted that we switch because THAT was something worth praying.
Here is a piece of trivia for you: John Adams, the second president of the US, said this prayer every day of his life.
November 5, 2007 at 6:42 pm
I used to sing “All night, all day” to my daughters when they were small, which has the last four lines as its verses:
Chorus: All night, all day
Angels watching over me, my Lord
All night, all day
Angels watching over me.
When I lay me down to sleep (Angels…
I pray the Lord my soul to keep (Angels…
Chorus
If I die before I wake (Angels…
I pray the Lord my soul to take (Angels…
I wish I’d known the “Matthew, Mark, Luke and John” part so I could have sung that too, they could never get enough of it!
November 5, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Andrea,
I like the fourteen angels. The more the merrier. I was once told that a priest was given 4 extra angels to aid him in his ministry. I often send mine out to rouse the faithful from their slumbers and urge them to Church while I am in the altar doing the Proskomedie and praying for each of the souls in my parish. So if any of my parishioners feel an extra tug on Sunday morning….
November 5, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Father,
Your angels probably didn’t have to work so hard yesterday guiding the parishoners to heaven with the extra hour of sleep. : ) I think we should gain an hour every weekend.
November 5, 2007 at 10:26 pm
In our family, we sing an additional verse:
If I live another day, I pray the Lord to guide my way.
I think it gives a more positive feeling.
November 5, 2007 at 11:50 pm
All I every knew of this prayer was the “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
But one evening, after praying the Orthodox evening prayers with my sweet octogenarian mother for whom I cared the last eleven years of her earthly passage, she launched that Old English prayer and added a verse I had never learned … “Should I be granted other days, I pray Thee Lord to guide my ways.”
What could be more complete, take my soul in death, guide my soul in life!
Mary
November 6, 2007 at 12:03 am
Andrea,
I would definitely vote for that!
November 6, 2007 at 12:04 am
Mary,
I’ve never found a complete written source on the prayer. I wonder what other parts I’ve not heard?
November 6, 2007 at 12:10 am
I just found another version perhaps complete:
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, bless the bed that I lie on. Before I lay me down to sleep, I give my soul to Christ to keep.
Four corners to my bed, four angels there aspread, two to foot, and two to head, and two to carry me when I’m dead.
I go by sea, I go by land, the Lord made me by his right hand. If any danger comes to me, Sweet Jesus Christ, deliver me.
He’s the branch, and I’m the flower, pray God send me a happy hour. And if I die before I wake, I pray that Christ my soul will take.
November 6, 2007 at 2:10 am
Here’s another version:
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
When in the morning light I wake,
Teach me the path of love to take.
It seems another attempt to avoid mention of death
November 6, 2007 at 7:22 am
If you know more of the tradition of this prayer please share it.
You have combined two different “nursery rhymes.”
“Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John” was once the best known prayer in England, used more often than the Lord’s prayer. It was called the “White Paternoster” and considered a “night spell.” A distored cersion was called the “Black Paternoster” and was an enchanment used by witches. No one can say how old it is - it is half Celtic and half Christian.
“Now I lay me down to sleep” is first found in print in Thomas Fleet’s New England Primer, the first edition is from 1737.
As a nursery rhyme, it first appeared in 1840 in London Jingles by J G Rush. It was printed there as:
I lay me down to rest me,
I pray to God to bless me;
If I should sleep and never wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
One of my ancestors is the sister of the real Mother Goose, Elizabeth VerGoose (nee Foster) who was born in Boston in 1665. Her daughter married Thomas Fleet. Thomas heard Elizabeth as she calmed her grandchildren with her stories. He published them in a book: Songs for the Nursery or Mother Goose’s Melodies in 1719.
Now you probably know far more than you ever cared about this prayer…….
November 6, 2007 at 9:28 am
I never know far more than I care to about anything.
For a descendant of Mother Goose (by way of her sister) to visit my site is a great honor indeed. I found a number of Dutch versions of the prayer which might be of interest as well. Although it is interesting that I found sources with the Matthew, Mark, Luke and John attached as I had learned it. But my family is of English and Celtic origin and there’s no telling what all got mixed in.
As for ancestors whose sisters or brothers were famous - I did research for my older brother who was interested in joining the sons of the American Revolution. I had to sadly inform him that we only qualified for the nephews of the American Revolution because our direct ancestor seems not to have fought, though his brother was in the North Carolina Militia. All of that seems such a long time ago…
November 6, 2007 at 3:02 pm
I say this prayer, the last 4 lines as I learned it, every night before I go to bed. And to be honest, it was this nightly prayer which led me to Orthodoxy.
As a Baptist Christian who once believed, once saved/always saved, how could I say a prayer that said, “If I should die before I wake, I pray my soul the Lord to take”? Why would I ask the Lord to take my soul if I believed He _already had_ my soul since I was _already_ saved?!
I started reading back to the Reformation, kept on going…and here I am…3 years in the Orthodox Church.
God’s ways are mysterious!
November 6, 2007 at 3:55 pm
I actually did learn the last four verses while young. It was good to find out about all the angels standing guard and waiting to help out when I got older!
November 6, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Growing up Roman Catholic, we were taught only the first two lines in my religious education classes as a device to help remember the names and order of the gospel texts. I somehow picked up the last four lines somewhere else along the way, though I don’t recall when and where.
November 6, 2007 at 6:56 pm
I did research for my older brother who was interested in joining the sons of the American Revolution. I had to sadly inform him that we only qualified for the nephews of the American Revolution because our direct ancestor seems not to have fought, though his brother was in the North Carolina Militia.
As a member of the DAR, I can tell you that one need not to have FOUGHT in the American Revolution to join. Your ancestor need only to have proided patriotic service. In other words, if he was the baker who supplied the troops, that counts.
November 6, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Anam,
I pass the news on to my brother. He’s promoted from nephew to son! He’ll be pleased.
November 6, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Father,
I’ve never heard the first part of this prayer before, just the last part. I find it interesting that the invocation of the saints (the Holy Evangelists) was retained in a Protestant children’s prayer!
November 7, 2007 at 8:19 am
The first part is so old that when the Celts were saying it, there was no such thing as a “Protestant” prayer. EVERYONE was Orthodox!
November 7, 2007 at 10:42 am
I was raised Catholic and this was what we were taught to pray morning and evening by my devoutly Irish Grandmother: ( I still do).
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love entrusts me here, ever this night (day) be at my side to light, to guard, to rule, and to guide. From sinful stain O keep me free, and at death’s hour my helper be. Amen.
The other prayer was to St. Michael the Archangel:
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray and do thou, O Prince of the Powers On High, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who roam about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
November 10, 2007 at 4:16 am
It can be traced back to something called the White Paternoster….or the Petite patenostre blanche.
Though some claim it is even older, and was a christianized “charm” or a pagan incantation to keep evil spirits away. There’s countless countries in Europe, that has something that shows traces of a common origin.
There is even a reference to it in one of Chaucer’s tales:
“Lord Jhesu Chist, and seynte Benedyht
Bless this hous from every wikked wight,
Fro nyghtes verray, the white Paternostre
When wonestow now, seynte Petres soster.”
Interesting note: In the Catholic tradition, the 14 angels were 14 martyrs, who had a reputation for fighting evil.
In Protestant countries these were changed to angels.
A couple that haven’t been mentioned yet:
Germany:
guardian angels are dispensed with,
but the angels are retained in force.
fourteen angels in a band
every night around me stand
two to my let hand
two to my right
who watch me ever
by day and night
two at my head
two at my feet
to guard my slumber
soft and sweet
two to wake me
at break of day
when night and darkness
pass away
two to cover me
warm and nice
and two to lead me
to paradise
Venice:
I go to bed
I know not if I shall arise
thou lord who knowest
keep good watch over be
before my soul separates from my body
give me help and good comfort
in the name of the father son and holy ghost
Sicily
I lay me down in this bed
with Jesus on my breast
I sleep and he watches
in this bed where i am laid
five saints i find
two at the head,
two at the feet
in the middle is st Michael
Greek
in my little bed i lie down to sleep
I lie down with my mother Mary
the mother Mary goes away
and she leaves me Christ for company
I have a couple of research papers on it that I would be happy to email you if you like.
November 10, 2007 at 10:45 am
Isabella,
That’s a fascinating collection. I’m not sure why such prayers would be characterized as charms or incantation, other than the rhyme scheme. But it mostly looks like prayer (easily memorized as rhyme).
Even pagans prayed.
November 11, 2007 at 9:58 pm
It took me a while to find this prayer that I recall teaching myself after I was baptized (at 16) I liked the rhythm of it and the sweetness of it.
Four corners of my bed
Four angels over head
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Bless this bed I lay upon
Four corners to my bed,
Four angels ’round my head,
One to watch, one to pray,
And two to bear my soul away.
I go by sea, I go by land,
The Lord made me with his right hand,
If any danger come to me,
Sweet Jesus Christ, deliver me.
For he’s the branch and I’m the flower,
Pray God send me a happy hour,
And if I die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
I lay my head on our Lady’s knee
Jesus come this night to me
Heart of Joseph I adore thee
Heart of Mary I implore thee
Heart of Jesus pure and just
In those three hearts I place my trust.
Teach me to always to say what’s true.
Be willing in each task I do.
Help me to be good each day,
and lead me in thy holy way.
I pray whatever wrongs I’ve done,
You will forgive me every one.
Be near me when I wake again, and
Bless all of those I love. Amen.
December 31, 2007 at 12:56 am
Love your site. I found it trying to find the lyrics to a song that my Dad used to sing or recite each night at bedtime. It came to me recently that he had done that. I say came to me because he died Dec. 27, 1968, just 3 days after my 13th Christmas Eve birthday. I have wonderful memories of he and Mom coming in each night to hear us say our prayers.
He said or sang a ditty about 4 angels round my bed two at my head and two at my feet.. and that’s all that came to me this year on my birthday. Almost like a gift from Daddy and Mom for Christmas. Can anyone help with the tune and the lyrics? Thanks a bunch and HAPPY NEW YEAR.. Blessings to you!!
January 2, 2008 at 1:36 am
Thankyou for the prayer of 14 angels. I am born in Holland and before Christmas we were talking about when we were babies in Holland and mum asked if we remembered saying this particular prayer. We didn’t but I Googled it as I really wanted to have it. I found it at your site. I will give it to my mother. She will love to read it also although she knows the Dutch version.
I wish you a very happy and fulfilling 2008.
Thea
February 24, 2008 at 12:59 pm
another version of prayer: Now I lay me down to rest, Angels guard my little nest. Like a wee bird in a tree, loving Father care for me. Glad and well may I awake. This I ask for Jesus sake. Amen
February 25, 2008 at 9:25 pm
I was in a small shop in Savannah Georgia last fall and saw an embroidered wall hanging on which was worked the lines of this prayer, one that I had been saying to myself most nights since I was very young.
It was more antiquated and had two other lines. The use of thee made is more conversational with God.
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray thee Lord my soul to keep,
And should I die before I wake,
I pray thee Lord my soul to take
And should I live another day,
I pray thee Lord show me the way.
I like this version better and now think of it as I am falling asleep
April 28, 2008 at 10:32 am
I am actually interested in some information regarding the Angel picture on this website. You see I have one that was my grandmothers. She has had this picture for at least 50-60 years framed. I do not want to take it out of the frame for information for fear of damage. Can you tell me it’s origin, who did it, when it was done and so on?
Thank you,
Trina
April 28, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Hey Everyone =)
I just strolled along this, and Needless to say, I’m still here. haha
how about this one…
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
When at dawn I greet the day,
Teach me, Lord, to walk thy way.
God bless Mommie, Daddy, too.
Not just now, but all life through.
God bless little creatures small,
Feed and shelter, one and all.
God bless everyone we love,
Here on earth and up above.
Little children, where’er they be,
God bless them, and God bless me.
Help me to be kind and true.
Gentle loving — just like You.
Let me always thankful be
For all the blessings given me.