One of the songs we had been working on was All Through The Night, a lullaby that I've always loved. It's really a Welsh song called Ar Hyd y Nos; its traditional tune was originally written down in Musical and Poetical Relics of the Welsh Bards, a three volume work completed in 1784 by Welsh composer Edward Jones. Its Welsh lyrics were written in the mid-1800's by Welsh poet John Ceiriog Hughes and several different English lyrics have been written over the years, the most popular being by songwriter Sir Harold Boulton in 1884. Incidentally, Boulton also wrote the lyrics to the Skye Boat Song. The version we were singing was arranged by Norman Luboff, an American choir director/music arranger.
Here are the Welsh Lyrics and their translation:
Holl amrantau'r sêr ddywedant
Ar hyd y nos
"Dyma'r ffordd i fro gogoniant,"
Ar hyd y nos.
Golau arall yw tywyllwch
I arddangos gwir brydferthwch
Teulu'r nefoedd mewn tawelwch
Ar hyd y nos.
Hyd y nos.
O mor siriol, gwena seren
Ar hyd y nos
I oleuo'i chwaer ddaearen
Ar hyd y nos.
Nos yw henaint pan ddaw cystudd
Ond i harddu dyn a'i hwyrddydd
Rhown ein golau gwan i'n gilydd
Ar hyd y nos.
Hyd y nos.
Translation
All the stars' twinkles say
All through the night
"This is the way to the realm of glory,"
All through the night.
Other light is darkness
To show true beauty
The Heavenly family in peace
All through the night.
Through the night.
O, how cheerful smiles the star,
All through the night
To light its earthly sister
All through the night.
Old age is night when affliction comes
But to beautify man in his late days
We'll put our weak light together
All through the night.
Through the night.
All through the night
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping
Hill and vale in slumber steeping,
I my loving vigil keeping
All through the night.
While the moon her watch is keeping
All through the night
While the weary world is sleeping
All through the night
O'er thy spirit gently stealing
Visions of delight revealing
Breathes a pure and holy feeling
All through the night.