As the bird flies home to its parent nest,
When the hunter seeks his prey,
O child of God, to thy Father haste,
From the tempter’s snare away.

Refrain

Under His wings thy defense shall be,
He with His feathers shall cover thee,
Cover thee, cover thee,
He with His feathers will cover thee.

When the winds are cold, and the days are long,
And thy soul from care would hide,
Fly back, fly back, to thy Father then,
And beneath His wings abide.

Refrain

Oh, the tranquil joy of that dear retreat,
Where the Savior bids thee rest,
With steadfast hope, and a trusting faith,
In His love secure and blest.

Refrain

’Tis the Lord thy God that to thee has said,
He will guide thee with His eye;
In all thy need, like the weary dove,
To Thy only refuge fly.

Refrain

The day is past and over;
All thanks, O Lord, to Thee!
We pray Thee that offenseless
The hours of dark may be.
O Jesus, keep us in Thy sight,
And guard us through the coming night.

The joys of day are over;
We lift our hearts to Thee,
And call on Thee that sinless
The hours of dark may be.
O Jesus, make their darkness light,
And guard us through the coming night.

Lord, that in death I sleep not,
And lest my foe should say,
“I have prevailed against him,”
Lighten mine eyes, I pray:
O Jesus, keep me in Thy sight,
And guard me through the coming night.

The toils of day are over;
We raise our hymn to Thee,
And ask that free from peril
The hours of dark may be.
O Jesus, keep us in Thy sight,
And guard us through the coming night.

Be Thou our souls’ Preserver,
O God, for Thou dost know
How many are the perils
Through which we have to go.
Lord Jesus Christ, O hear our call
And guard and save us from them all.

Lord, when we have not any light,
And mothers are asleep;
Then through the stillness of the night,
Thy little children keep.

When shadows haunt the quiet room,
Help us to understand
That Thou art with us through the gloom,
To hold us by the hand.

And though we do not always see
The holy angels near,
O may we trust ourselves to Thee,
Nor have one foolish fear.

So in the morning may we wake,
When wakes the kindly sun,
More loving for our Father’s sake
To each unloving one.

Now rest beneath night’s shadow
The woodland, field, and meadow,
The world in slumber lies;
But Thou, my heart, awake thee,
To prayer and song betake thee;
Let praise to thy Creator rise.

The radiant sun hath vanished,
His golden rays are banished
By night, the foe of day;
But Christ, the Sun of gladness,
Dispelling all my sadness,
Within my heart holds constant sway.

The rule of day is over
And shining jewels cover
The heaven’s boundless blue.
Thus I shall shine in heaven,
Where crowns of gold are given
To all who faithful prove and true.

To rest my body hasteth,
Aside its garments casteth,
Types of mortality;
These I put off and ponder
How Christ will give me yonder
A robe of glorious majesty.

Lord Jesus, who dost love me,
Oh, spread Thy wings above me
And shield me from alarm!
Though evil would assail me,
Thy mercy will not fail me:
I rest in Thy protecting arm.

My loved ones, rest securely,
For God this night will surely
From peril guard your heads.
Sweet slumbers may He send you
And bid His hosts attend you
And through the night watch o’er your beds.

Now that the daylight dies away,
By all Thy grace and love,
Thee, Maker of the world, we pray
To watch our bed above.

Let dreams depart and phantoms fly,
The offspring of the night,
Keep us, like shrines, beneath Thine eye,
Pure in our foe’s despite.

This grace on Thy redeemed confer,
Father, co-equal Son,
And Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
Eternal Three in One.

Now the day is over,
Night is drawing nigh,
Shadows of the evening
Steal across the sky.

Now the darkness gathers,
Stars begin to peep,
Birds, and beasts and flowers
Soon will be asleep.

Jesus, give the weary
Calm and sweet repose;
With Thy tenderest blessing
May mine eyelids close.

Grant to little children
Visions bright of Thee;
Guard the sailors tossing
On the deep, blue sea.

Comfort those who suffer,
Watching late in pain;
Those who plan some evil
From their sin restrain.

Through the long night watches
May Thine angels spread
Their white wings above me,
Watching round my bed.

When the morning wakens,
Then may I arise
Pure, and fresh, and sinless
In Thy holy eyes.

Glory to the Father,
Glory to the Son,
And to Thee, blest Spirit,
While all ages run.

Softly the silent night falleth from God,
On, weary wanderers, over life’s road;
And as the stars on high light up the dark’ning sky,
Lord, unto Thee we cry—Father above.

Softly on failing wing daylight has passed;
Sleep, like an angel, kind, folds us at last;
Peace be our lot this night, safe be our slumber light,
Watched by Thy angels bright, Father above.

And when the gleam of morn touches our eyes,
And the returning day bids us arise,
Happy beneath Thy will, steadfast in joy or ill,
Lord, may we serve Thee still, Father above.

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this today to me forever
By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river,
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of cherubim;
The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word,
The Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the star lit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

The shadows of the evening hours fall from the darkening sky;
Upon the fragrance of the flowers the dews of evening lie;
Before Thy throne, O Lord of Heav’n, we kneel at close of day;
Look on Thy children from on high, and hear us while we pray.

The sorrows of Thy servants, Lord, O do not now despise,
But let the incense of our prayers before Thy mercy rise.
The brightness of the coming night upon the darkness rolls;
With hopes of future glory, chase the shadows from our souls.

Slowly the rays of daylight fade, so fade within our heart
The hopes in earthly love and joy, that one by one depart.
Slowly the bright stars, one by one, within the heavens shine:
Give us, O Lord, fresh hopes in heaven, and trust in things divine.

Let peace, O Lord, Thy peace, O God, upon our souls descend;
From midnight fears and perils, now our trembling hearts defend.
Give us a respite from our toil; calm and subdue our woes.
Through the long day we labor, Lord, O give us now repose.

To Thee before the close of day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That, with Thy wonted favor, Thou
Wouldst be our Guard and Keeper now.

From all ill dreams defend our sight,
From fears and terrors of the night;
Withhold from us our ghostly foe,
That spot of sin we may not know.

O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, Thine only Son,
Who, with the Holy Ghost and Thee,
Doth live and reign eternally.