The mother's prayer | Invisibly by night and day

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Mutter Gebet

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Unsichtbar, bei Tag und Nacht, 
Schwebt um dich der Mutter Flehen; 
Wie der heilgen Engel Wacht 
Überall will's mit dir gehen. 
  Froh zieh deines Weges fort, 
  Kind, mit diesem Schild und Hort! 

Eh du ahnest die Gefahr,
Hat das Flehn sie abgewendet;
Eh du zagest, wunderbar
Ist dir Tröstung schon gesendet.
  Fest wie Gottes ewges Wort,
  Kind, ist dieser Schild und Hort!

Alles, ach! mag sinken hin, 
Nimmer doch die Muttertreue; 
Auch vom Himmel wird umziehn 
Dich ihr Flehen stets auf's neue. 
  Heil! dir bleibet hier und dort, 
  Kind, dein bester Schild und Hort!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, page 242.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Der Mutter Gebet", appears in Liederbuch, in 3. Hauslieder, no. 272 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Josef Häser (b. 1846) [sung text not yet checked]
by Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The mother's prayer", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-07
Line count: 18
Word count: 94

The mother's prayer

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Invisibly by night and day
Your mother's prayer wafts about you;
Like the watch of the holy angels
It wishes to accompany you everywhere.
  Go your way happily, 
  Child, with this shield and refuge!

Before you even perceive the danger,
Her prayer has turned it from you;
Before you feel apprehension, comfort
Has already miraculously been sent to you.
  As firm as God's eternal word,
  Child, is this shield and refuge!

Everything, ah! may pass away,
But nevermore a mother's faithfulness;
Ah, ever anew her prayers shall waft
About you even from Heaven.
  It is well for you! Whether here or there,
  Child, your best shield and refuge remains for you!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Der Mutter Gebet", appears in Liederbuch, in 3. Hauslieder, no. 272
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-06-14
Line count: 18
Word count: 111