Children of the Heavenly Father
A Swedish hymn of trust that God keeps his children safe, in Ernst Olson's English translation.
The words are public domain. We print a hymn only after checking it word for word against a dated old printing, and this one hasn’t been checked yet. Hymnary has it now.
“Children of the Heavenly Father” at HymnaryAbout this hymn
The hymn says that God's children are safer in his care than birds in their nests or stars in the sky, and that nothing, not even death, can take them from him.
It rests on Jesus' words about the Father who feeds the birds and knows our needs (Matthew 6:26) and Paul's word that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ (Romans 8:38-39).
It is sung in any season and often at baptisms and funerals. Lina Sandell wrote the Swedish text in 1855; Ernst Olson's English translation was printed in 1925.
For musicians and planners
| Words | Carolina (Lina) Sandell Berg, 1855 | Public domain |
|---|---|---|
| Translation | Ernst William Olson, 1925 | Public domain in the US |
| Tune | TRYGGARE KAN INGEN VARA · Swedish folk melody, 1873 | Public domain |
Checked 2026-09-27 against hymnary.org text, tune and person pages (attribution and rights only). The words are not transcribed here yet.
Hymn numbers checked against Hymnary.org’s index of Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Full record: Hymnary.