Now I lay me down to sleep
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
And if I die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Origin
This is a famous children’s prayer which became widely used in the 18th century when of course childhood mortality was very high. It became popular on both sides of the Atlantic.
There is an amusing variation which goes:
Now I lay me down to sleep,
A bag of peanuts at my feet;
If I should die before I wake,
Give them to my sister Kate.