William Channing Gannett: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Sleep, My Little Jesus

William Channing Gannett

“Sleep, My Little Jesus” as printed in The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920).

William Channing Gannett: Collected Lyrics Text 1 1920 · historical text
Public domainHymnSacred song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Army and Navy Hymnal, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Sleep, my little Jesus,

On thy Bed of hay,

While the shepherds homeward

Journey on their way.

Mother is thy shepherd

And will her vigil keep:

Did the voices wake thee?

O sleep my Jesus Sleep!

Softly sleep, sweetly sleep,

May Jesus sleep!

Sleep, my little Jesus,

While thou art my own!

Ox and ass thy heighbours,

Shalt thou have a throne?

Will they call me blessed?

Shall I stand and weep?

Be it far Jehovah!

O sleep my Jesus Sleep!

Softly sleep, sweetly sleep,

May Jesus sleep!

Sleep, my little Jesus,

Wonder baby mine!

Well the singing angels

Greet thee as divine.

Through my heart as heaven

Low the echoes sweep

Of glory to Jehovah!

O sleep my Jesus sleep!

Softly sleep, sweetly sleep,

May Jesus sleep!

Amen

Credits

Written by William Channing Gannett

Words by William Channing Gannett. Historical text published in The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920), “Sleep, My Little Jesus”

The 1920 published edition is in the public domain in the United States (pre-1931 publication). Entries whose credited author died more than 70 years ago are also in the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions; traditional and anonymous entries are public domain. Pages whose scan quality is below the proofread threshold are held for review.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-26. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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