Be Thou My Vision is a traditional hymn from Ireland, It is popular among English-speaking churches around the world The original Old Irish text, Rop tú mo Baile is often attributed to Dallán Forgaill in the 6th century.[1] An attribution given mostly by the Catholic Church. The text had been a part of Irish monastic tradition for centuries before its setting to the tune, therefore, before it became an actual hymn.[2]] The music is the Irish folk song, Slane. Besides this general connection to Christianity, the folk song has little prior connection to the text. The two were first combined by Welsh composer David Evans in the 1927 edition of the Church of Scotland's Church Hymnary. Lyric translate to English by Eleanor Hull, 1912; this version was popularised by virtue of its place in the English Hymnal ( abstract from Wikipedia) - Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
- Be all else naught to me, save that thou art;
- Thou my best thought in the day and the night,
- Both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.
- Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
- Be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;
- Be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
- Be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
- Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
- Be thou my whole armour, be thou my true might;
- Be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower:
- O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.
- Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:
- Be thou mine inheritance now and always;
- Be thou and thou only the first in my heart;
- O Sovereign of Heaven, my treasure thou art.
- High King of Heaven, thou Heaven's bright sun,
- O grant me its joys after victory is won!;
- Great heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
- Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
|