The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #59408   Message #947495
Posted By: lamarca
06-May-03 - 11:42 PM
Thread Name: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
Subject: Lyr Add: SLEEP ON BELOVED (S Doudney/I Sankey)
Sleep On Beloved - words by Sarah Doudney, music by Ira Sankey

see http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/g/cgoodnit.htm for complete text and MIDI of music; Waterson-Carthy recorded an abridged version on their first album:

Sleep on, beloved, sleep, and take thy rest;
Lay down thy head upon the Savior's breast;
We love thee well, but Jesus loves thee best;
Good night! Good night! Good night!

Until the shadows from this earth are cast,
Until He gathers in His sheaves at last;
Until the twilight gloom be over past;
Good night! Good night! Good night!

Until, made beautiful by love divine,
Thou, in the likeness of thy Lord shalt shine,
And He shall bring that golden crown of thine;
Good night! Good night! Good night!

Until we meet again before His throne,
Clothed in the spotless robes He gives His own,
Until we know even as we are known;
Good night! Good night! Good night!

This morphed into a rhyming song when it reached the Bahamas; the version everyone seems to sing from The Incredible String Band to The Grateful Dead to Bill Staines was sung by the Pindar Family (Joseph Spence and his in-laws) and recorded by Jody Stecher on "The Real Bahamas" in 1965(?). It's in the DT here:

I Bid You Goodnight