Taps

Taps is sung by many, many Guides and Scouts all around the world.

At international events you will often hear it sung, all together, but in many different languages.

The hear the tune "Taps," click on the black arrowhead; to stop it, click on the square.

Alternative music link - left-click

The daytime version is:

Thanks and praise, for our days,

'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, 'neath the sky.

As we go, this we know:

God is nigh.

There are more verses than most people sing :

Day is done, gone the sun

From the sea, from the hills, from the sky.

All is well, safely rest,

God is nigh

Fading light, dims the sight

And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.

From afar, drawing nigh,

Falls the night.

Thanks and praise for our days

'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, 'neath the sky.

As we go, this we know,

God is nigh.

Sun has set, shadows come.

Time has fled, Scouts must go to their beds.

Always true to the promise

That they made.

While the light fades from sight

And the stars gleaming rays softly send

To Thy hands we our souls

Lord, commend.

Go to sleep, peaceful sleep,

May the soldier or sailor God keep.

On the land or the deep,

Safe in sleep.

Love, good night, must thou go,

When the day and the night need thee so?

All is well. Speedeth all

To their rest.

Fades the light; and afar

Goeth day, and the stars shineth bright,

Fare thee well; day has gone,

Night is on.

Then good night, peaceful night,

Till the light of the dawn shineth bright;

God is near, do not fear.

Friend, good night.

 

FRENCH:		DUTCH :
C'est la nuit tout se tait		D'avand valt, alles zwijgt
Sur les plaines, les collines, et les bois;		Zachtkens ruist over zee, bos en hei,
C'est la paix, tout est bien		Winde groet, alles wei,
et Dieu vient.		God nabij.

 

SPANISH		ITALIAN
Descansad, todo es paz		E' la sera tutto face
Cae la noche, en la tierra, y el mar		La nei boschi, sui monti, nel piano
Descansad, que el Senor		Tutt'e pace, tutt'e bene
Cerca esta		E Dio viene

 

DANISH		SWEDISH
Dagen, randt, solen svandt		Dagem dor, skymning rar
Bort fra himmel, fra hav, cg fra land,		Over skog, over berg, over hav,
Hvil kuntrygt, Fred i sind,		Allt ar ro, vila trygg,
Gud er naer.		Gud ar nar.

 

FINNISH		ICELANDIC
Ilta saa uinahtaa,		Dadur er lidinn, srlin farin
Paivyto vetten ja, metsien taa,		Fra sjr num, fra hfedunum, fra luftinu
Tyyn ny rain, Luamas on		Allt er gott, ro og huild
Herre ain.		Gut er nier

 

GERMAN		GREEK
Durch die nacht, tonet sacht		Siopili, apali
Unser lied, friede zieht durch, das land		Sta vouna, pefri nihta, varia
Alles ruht, gottes Hand		Storghika, O theos
Schutzt uns gut		Mas fila

 

MAORI (courtesy Rand A Oppenheimer)		BANGLA (courtesy Helena Bull)
Haere ra, E te ao		Dino shis, rrobi mlan
E te tai, te puke, te rangi;		shag-or-e, pa-hor-e, a-ka-she
Kei te pai, Piri mai		Shuvo shlob shuvo hock
Te Atua		come shluster joy

 

SAMOAN		THAI (courtesy Liz Jones)
Ua iu le aso goto le la		Set ng wan Su ri yan
Mai le smai, mai mauga, mai le lagi		Tagh ta lek Tagh poo por Tagh fogh far
Manuia mea uma		Korp gam dee Jang me sock
Ma filemu		Sa wad dee

 

WELSH
Diwedd dydd, aeth i'r haul		Diolch a mawl, am ein hoes
Draw o'r mor, dros fynydd, or awyn		Tan y hawl, tan y ser, is awr.
Popeth da, orffwysa		Fel yr awn, hyn tyddon,
Duw sy uwch		Duw sy uwch.

 

POLISH (submitted by Anusia Chalko)		JAPANESE
Idzie noc, slonce juz.		Hi wa, Ochinu
Zeszlo z gor, zeszlo z pol, zeszlo z morz.		Umi mo, Yama mo, Sora mo,
W cichym snie spocznij juz,		Kami no, moto ni
Bog jest tuz.		Yasu shi

There is also a BSL signed version of taps on this page.

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Taps is a military bugle-call, played at the end of the day and also at military funerals.
For the generally-accepted version of how Taps came to be written, click here.