Re: Old English child's prayer help needed

Brenda, you always come through on this stuff. :-) Thanks. Now my brain can rest. :-)

Dianne

Brenda Lewis wrote:

The "Children's Prayer" Hansel and Gretel (Humperdinck) lyrics are:

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 is given
To guide my steps to heaven.


The prayer I learned as a child was only the four lines:

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.

I'm sure there are variants of both floating around out there.

Dianne Lewandowski wrote:

I think the problem is that people are confusing the hymn (from Humperdink's opera "Hansel & Gretel") from the old nursery rhyme.

I only know the first four lines as the nursery prayer. The hymn goes something like:
14 angels guide my sleep

and then denotes 2 at a time. I'm sorry. My brain just won't cooperate and spit out the verses. I used to know this hymn very well. I'll throw it around in my mind today to see if I can come up with a sensible answer.

Dianne

Cheryl Isaak wrote:

On 8/28/05 7:58 AM, in article 9j93h1dr1m9qh5cd574h7brpi8gb9kmieo@xxxxxxx,
"Poetta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <Poetta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Hi and I hope someone here can find this poem for me. I learned this
from my Grandmother when I was tiny, but the 6 lines are all I know.
I've heard there are more, and if anyone knows the whole poem I'd
really appreciate it. I'd like to design it into a cross-stitch
pattern, but really want to do the whole thing. Here's what I know

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 I should live for other days --
I pray the Lord to guide my ways.



I only recall the first 4 lines

BUT

Have you tried Googling  it? There (it seems) a million variations!

Cheryl




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