All Through The Night
A tender Welsh lullaby with one of the most beautiful melodies ever written
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Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
Sleep, my child and peace surround thee,
All through the night.
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night.
Soft and drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping.
I my loving vigil keeping,
All through the night.
Angels watching ever round thee,
All through the night.
In thy slumbers' close surround thee,
All through the night.
They should of all fears disarm thee,
No forebodings should alarm thee,
They will let no peril harm thee,
All through the night.
While the moon her watch is keeping,
All through the night.
While the weary world is sleeping,
All through the night.
O'er thy spirit gently stealing,
Visions of delight revealing,
Breathes a pure and peaceful feeling,
All through the night.
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
All Through the Night (Ar Hyd y Nos in Welsh) is one of the most beautiful lullabies in the world. The melody is a traditional Welsh tune of great antiquity, and its sweeping, tender arc has inspired poets and musicians across centuries.
The English words most commonly sung today were written by Sir Harold Boulton and published in 1884, in the collection Songs of the Four Nations. Boulton's lyric — "Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee, all through the night" — perfectly matches the gentle rise and fall of the Welsh melody, creating one of those rare marriages of words and tune that feels entirely inevitable.
The original Welsh song, Ar Hyd y Nos, had different words, but the melody was already centuries old when Boulton encountered it. It has been arranged for everything from solo voice to full orchestra, and has been used in countless films and recordings. In the Nursery Rhymes Collections, it is given the tender, respectful treatment it deserves — a song that belongs as much to parents as to children.
