Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray thee, Lord, my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray thee, Lord, my soul to take.

Explore Words From This Rhyme

Find Rhymes

Look Up Definitions

More Nursery Rhymes

Browse all nursery rhymes →

Learning from "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" uses 4 lines to create a memorable verse — proof that effective poetry doesn't need to be long. Pay attention to the meter: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is what makes the rhyme stick in your head.

Songwriters and poets can borrow these patterns. Try writing your own lyrics using the same rhyme scheme and line length as this nursery rhyme. You can also use words from the poem above as starting points — click any word to find rhymes or look up its definition, then build from there.

Create your own verse

Inspired by "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep"? Try writing your own rhymes:

Generate a verse

Frequently asked questions

What are the words to Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep?
The lyrics to Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep are: Now I lay me down to sleep, / I pray thee, Lord, my soul to keep. / If I should die before I wake, / I pray thee, Lord, my soul to take.
How many lines does Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep have?
"Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" has 4 lines of verse.

Explore More Word Tools