Tags: hymnspirations music
The humble medieval poem composed in Old Irish remains relevant today when Mary Byrne translated it into English prose in 1905. In 1927, when matched with the charming secular Irish ballade, Slane by David Evans, this hymn of devotion became one of the day’s most popular and remains so a century later.
“Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art;
Thou my best thought by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee, and thou with me Lord;
Thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tower;
Raise thou me heaven-ward. O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor vain empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and thou only, forts in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.”