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by Thomas Browne, Sir (1605 - 1682)

The night is come, like to the day
Language: English 
The night is come, like to the day,
Depart not Thou, great GOD, away.
Let not my sins, black as the night,
Eclipse the lustre of Thy light:
Keep still in my Horizon; for to me
The Sun makes not the day, but Thee.
Thou, Whose nature cannot sleep,
On my temples Centry keep;
Guard me 'gainst those watchful foes,
Whose eyes are open while mine close.
Let no dreams my head infest,
But such as Jacob's temples blest.
While I do rest, my Soul advance;
Make my sleep a holy trance;
That I may, my rest being wrought,
Awake into some holy thought;
And with as active vigour run
My course, as doth the nimble Sun.
Sleep is a death; O make me try,
By sleeping, what it is to die;
And as gently lay my head
On my grave, as now my bed.
However I rest, great GOD, let me
Awake again at last with Thee;
And thus assur'd, behold I lie
Securely, or to awake or die.
These are my drowsie days; in vain
I do not wake to sleep again:
O come that hour, when I shall never
Sleep again, but wake for ever.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Thomas Browne, Sir (1605 - 1682), no title, appears in Religio Medici, from the Second Part [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 Gordon Crosse (b. 1937), "Prayer: The night is come", op. 17 no. 2 (1966), published 1967, first performed 1966 [ soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, and orchestra ], from Changes - A Nocturnal Cycle, no. 2, London : Oxford University Press [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in English, [adaptation] ; composed by Henry Purcell.
    • Go to the text.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2011-01-05
Line count: 30
Word count: 198

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