Gud, som haver barnen kär

"Gud, som haver barnen kär..." (Swedish: "God, who holds the children dear") is an old prayer for children, of unknown origin. The prayer was first printed in 1780 in "Barnabok, hans Kongl. höghet kronprinsen i underdånighet tilägnad af Samfundet Pro fide et Christianismo" ("Children's book, humbly dedicated to his Royal Highness the Crown Prince by the Society Pro fide et Christianismo"), which was published on the occasion of the Swedish crown prince's (later Gustav IV Adolf) second birthday. In the book the prayer is called "En allmän bön för små barn" ("A general prayer for little children") and reads as follows:

"Gud som haver barnen kär

Se till mig som liten är

Vart jag mig i världen vänder

Står min lycka i Guds händer

Lyckan kommer lyckan går

Du förbliver fader vår

Den Gud älskar lyckan får

Amen.

"God who holds the children dear,

Look after me, who is little

Wherever in the world I wander

My happiness is in God's hands

Happiness comes happiness goes

Thou remainest our Father.

He who loveth God obtaineth happiness

Amen."

It is likely based on an orally transmitted prayer. It was first printed as a hymn in the Salvation Army songbook of 1907. It was later published in the Swedish Sunday School songbook (1908) where three additional verses were composted by Johan Bernhard Gauffin and Carl Boberg and eventually in the "normal hymn book Nya psalmer 1921, the annex to Swedish hymnal of 1819 where Siri Dahlquist extended the prayer with five additional verses, of which the first one begins "Gode Fader, i din vård" ("Good father, in thy care").

The melody, according to Koralbok för Nya psalmer, 1921 was possibly composed in 1531, but in later editions the melody is attributed to Ivar Widéen in 1912. The prayer is also sometimes sung with the same melody as "Twinkle, twinkle, little star". The first printed version of the prayer was sung to the melody "Härlig är Guds himmel blå".

Sources

• Oscar Lövgren Psalm och Sånglexikon 1964.