All Through the Night (Ar Hyd Y Nos)

DESCRIPTION: "Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee, All through the night. Guardian angels God will send thee, All through the night." The singer watches over the child while the world sleeps. (The (dying?) child/lover is wished to heaven)
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1784 (Edward Jones, "Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards")
KEYWORDS: lullaby death love
FOUND IN: Wales
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Jolly-Miller-Songster-5thEd, #55, "All Through the Night" (1 text)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 410, "All Through the Night" (1 text)
Fuld-BookOfWorldFamousMusic, p. 410, "All Through the Night"
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, p. 47, 342, "All Through the Night" (notes only)
Rodeheaver-SociabilitySongs, p. 22, "All Though the Night" (1 text, 1 tune)
National-4HClubSongBook, p. 20, "All Through the Night" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, THRUNITE* THRUNIT2*
RECORDINGS:
Shannon Four, "All Through the Night" (Victor 19413, 1924)
SAME TUNE:
Day Is Done (hymn published by James Quinn in 1969 and found in Catholic and Presbyterian hymnals; see LindaJo H. McKim, _Presbyterian Hymnal Companion_, Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993, p. 366)
NOTES [134 words]: That this song is originally Welsh is not doubted. The English translation is sometimes credited to Sir Harold Boulton (so, e.g., Jolly-Miller-Songster-5thEd), but Fuld notes that there is no standard English translation. The 1784 version in Jones is not by Boulton. Also, at least one version seems to have been folk processed -- at least, I've seen a text which is about 95% identical to the one I know (too close to be an independent translation), but with some different words.
National-4HClubSongBook credits its tramslation to "Walter Maynard"; the first verse is almost identical to the one I know, but the rest looks different. - RBW
There seem to be several versions of the song with various plots. In one, the child -- or possibly a dead lover -- is mourned; another is a Christmas carol. - PJS
Last updated in version 6.3
File: FDWB410B

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