Asleep the child fell <br />When night cast its spell; <br />The angels came near <br />With laughter and cheer. <br />Her watch at its waking the mother was keeping: <br />'How sweet, my dear child, was your smile now while sleeping!' <br /> <br /> <br />To God mother went, <br />From home it was rent; <br />Asleep the child fell <br />'Neath tears' troublous spell. <br />But soon it heard laughter and mother-words tender; <br />The angels brought dreams full of childhood's rare splendor. <br /> <br />It grew with the years, <br />Till gone were the tears; <br />Asleep the child fell, <br />While thoughts cast their spell. <br />But faithful the angels their vigils were keeping, <br />The thoughts took and whispered: 'Have peace now, while sleeping!'<br /><br />Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-angels-of-sleep/
