Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou My Vision

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 great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;

Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;

Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first 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.

Be Thou My Vision (Irish: Bí Thusa 'mo Shúile) is a traditional Christian hymn, which can be traced to Ireland but is now sung in English-speaking churches around the world.Contents The original Old Irish text, Rop tú mo Baile is often attributed to Dallan Forgaill in the 6th Century. 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. It was translated from Old Irish into English by Mary E. Byrne, M.A., in Ériu (the journal of the School of Irish Learning), in 1905. The English text was first versified by Eleanor H. Hull, in 1912, and is now the most common text used.

The original texts of the now-called Be Thou My Vision are in Old Irish, similar still in style to modern Irish.

Rop tú mo baile, a Choimdiu cride:

ní ní nech aile acht Rí secht nime.

Rop tú mo scrútain i l-ló 's i n-aidche;

rop tú ad-chëar im chotlud caidche.

Rop tú mo labra, rop tú mo thuicsiu;

rop tussu dam-sa, rob misse duit-siu.

Rop tussu m'athair, rob mé do mac-su;

rop tussu lem-sa, rob misse lat-su.

Rop tú mo chathscíath, rop tú mo chlaideb;

rop tussu m'ordan, rop tussu m'airer.

Rop tú mo dítiu, rop tú mo daingen;

rop tú nom-thocba i n-áentaid n-aingel.

Rop tú cech maithius dom churp, dom anmain;

rop tú mo flaithius i n-nim 's i talmain.

Rop tussu t' áenur sainserc mo chride;

ní rop nech aile acht Airdrí nime.

Co talla forum, ré n-dul it láma,

mo chuit, mo chotlud, ar méit do gráda.

Rop tussu t' áenur m' urrann úais amra:

ní chuinngim daíne ná maíne marba.

Rop amlaid dínsiur cech sel, cech sáegul,

mar marb oc brénad, ar t' fégad t' áenur.

Do serc im anmain, do grád im chride,

tabair dam amlaid, a Rí secht nime.

Tabair dam amlaid, a Rí secht nime,

do serc im anmain, do grád im chride.

Go Ríg na n-uile rís íar m-búaid léire;

ro béo i flaith nime i n-gile gréine

A Athair inmain, cluinte mo núall-sa:

mithig (mo-núarán!) lasin trúagán trúag-sa.

A Chríst mo chride, cip ed dom-aire,

a Flaith na n-uile, rop tú mo baile.

English Translation

by Mary Byrne, 1905

Be thou my vision O Lord of my heart

None other is aught but the King of the seven heavens.

Be thou my meditation by day and night.

May it be thou that I behold even in my sleep.

Be thou my speech, be thou my understanding.

Be thou with me, be I with thee

Be thou my father, be I thy son.

Mayst thou be mine, may I be thine.

Be thou my battle-shield, be thou my sword.

Be thou my dignity, be thou my delight.

Be thou my shelter, be thou my stronghold.

Mayst thou raise me up to the company of the angels.

Be thou every good to my body and soul.

Be thou my kingdom in heaven and on earth.

Be thou solely chief love of my heart.

Let there be none other, O high King of Heaven.

Till I am able to pass into thy hands,

My treasure, my beloved through the greatness of thy love

Be thou alone my noble and wondrous estate.

I seek not men nor lifeless wealth.

Be thou the constant guardian of every possession and every life.

For our corrupt desires are dead at the mere sight of thee.

Thy love in my soul and in my heart --

Grant this to me, O King of the seven heavens.

O King of the seven heavens grant me this --

Thy love to be in my heart and in my soul.

With the King of all, with him after victory won by piety,

May I be in the kingdom of heaven O brightness of the son.

Beloved Father, hear, hear my lamentations.

Timely is the cry of woe of this miserable wretch.

O heart of my heart, whatever befall me,

O ruler of all, be thou my vision.

English Versification

by Eleanor Hull, 1912

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,

be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;

be 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 armor, 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 thou my vision, O Ruler of all.

Modern Irish Translations

The hymn has been translated into Irish many times. The most popular of that by Aodh Ó Dúgain of Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. Two verses of his translation were recorded by his grand-daughter Moya Brennan; the first any part of his text has been publicly available. Since then, those two verses have been recorded by dozens of artists including Roma Downey & Aoife and Iona.

These verses are very close translations to the first two of the Old Irish text above.

Bí Thusa ’mo shúile a Rí mhór na ndúil

Líon thusa mo bheatha mo chéadfaí ’s mo stuaim

Bí thusa i m'aigne gach oíche ’s gach lá

Im chodladh no im dhúiseacht, líon mé le do ghrá.

Bí thusa ’mo threorú i mbriathar ’s i mbeart

Fan thusa go deo liom is coinnigh mé ceart

Glac cúram mar Athair, is éist le mo ghuí

Is tabhair domsa áit cónaí istigh i do chroí.

Other languages

A Swedish translation Gå inte förbi was recorded by Sissel Kyrkjebø and Peter Jöback in 2003.

A Scottish Gaelic translation Soills’ Air Mo Smuain was made by Céitidh Mhoireasdan

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Blessings Prayers Carols Hymns Main Index	HOME \| home Some Favorite Hymns \| Be Thou My Vision \| Morning Has Broken \| Come Labor On \| Blessed Quietness \| Amazing Grace \| As Pants the Hart \| Abide with Me \| Christ Has My Hart, Ay \| Day is Dying in the West \| Dives and Lazarus
	Be Thou My Vision 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 great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one. Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight; Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight; Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower: Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power. Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, Thou mine Inheritance, now and always: Thou and Thou only, first 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. Be Thou My Vision (Irish: Bí Thusa 'mo Shúile) is a traditional Christian hymn, which can be traced to Ireland but is now sung in English-speaking churches around the world.Contents The original Old Irish text, Rop tú mo Baile is often attributed to Dallan Forgaill in the 6th Century. 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. It was translated from Old Irish into English by Mary E. Byrne, M.A., in Ériu (the journal of the School of Irish Learning), in 1905. The English text was first versified by Eleanor H. Hull, in 1912, and is now the most common text used. The original texts of the now-called Be Thou My Vision are in Old Irish, similar still in style to modern Irish. Rop tú mo baile, a Choimdiu cride: ní ní nech aile acht Rí secht nime. Rop tú mo scrútain i l-ló 's i n-aidche; rop tú ad-chëar im chotlud caidche. Rop tú mo labra, rop tú mo thuicsiu; rop tussu dam-sa, rob misse duit-siu. Rop tussu m'athair, rob mé do mac-su; rop tussu lem-sa, rob misse lat-su. Rop tú mo chathscíath, rop tú mo chlaideb; rop tussu m'ordan, rop tussu m'airer. Rop tú mo dítiu, rop tú mo daingen; rop tú nom-thocba i n-áentaid n-aingel. Rop tú cech maithius dom churp, dom anmain; rop tú mo flaithius i n-nim 's i talmain. Rop tussu t' áenur sainserc mo chride; ní rop nech aile acht Airdrí nime. Co talla forum, ré n-dul it láma, mo chuit, mo chotlud, ar méit do gráda. Rop tussu t' áenur m' urrann úais amra: ní chuinngim daíne ná maíne marba. Rop amlaid dínsiur cech sel, cech sáegul, mar marb oc brénad, ar t' fégad t' áenur. Do serc im anmain, do grád im chride, tabair dam amlaid, a Rí secht nime. Tabair dam amlaid, a Rí secht nime, do serc im anmain, do grád im chride. Go Ríg na n-uile rís íar m-búaid léire; ro béo i flaith nime i n-gile gréine A Athair inmain, cluinte mo núall-sa: mithig (mo-núarán!) lasin trúagán trúag-sa. A Chríst mo chride, cip ed dom-aire, a Flaith na n-uile, rop tú mo baile. English Translation by Mary Byrne, 1905 Be thou my vision O Lord of my heart None other is aught but the King of the seven heavens. Be thou my meditation by day and night. May it be thou that I behold even in my sleep. Be thou my speech, be thou my understanding. Be thou with me, be I with thee Be thou my father, be I thy son. Mayst thou be mine, may I be thine. Be thou my battle-shield, be thou my sword. Be thou my dignity, be thou my delight. Be thou my shelter, be thou my stronghold. Mayst thou raise me up to the company of the angels. Be thou every good to my body and soul. Be thou my kingdom in heaven and on earth. Be thou solely chief love of my heart. Let there be none other, O high King of Heaven. Till I am able to pass into thy hands, My treasure, my beloved through the greatness of thy love Be thou alone my noble and wondrous estate. I seek not men nor lifeless wealth. Be thou the constant guardian of every possession and every life. For our corrupt desires are dead at the mere sight of thee. Thy love in my soul and in my heart -- Grant this to me, O King of the seven heavens. O King of the seven heavens grant me this -- Thy love to be in my heart and in my soul. With the King of all, with him after victory won by piety, May I be in the kingdom of heaven O brightness of the son. Beloved Father, hear, hear my lamentations. Timely is the cry of woe of this miserable wretch. O heart of my heart, whatever befall me, O ruler of all, be thou my vision. English Versification by Eleanor Hull, 1912 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart, be all else but naught to me, save that thou art; be 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 armor, 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 thou my vision, O Ruler of all. Modern Irish Translations The hymn has been translated into Irish many times. The most popular of that by Aodh Ó Dúgain of Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. Two verses of his translation were recorded by his grand-daughter Moya Brennan; the first any part of his text has been publicly available. Since then, those two verses have been recorded by dozens of artists including Roma Downey & Aoife and Iona. These verses are very close translations to the first two of the Old Irish text above. Bí Thusa ’mo shúile a Rí mhór na ndúil Líon thusa mo bheatha mo chéadfaí ’s mo stuaim Bí thusa i m'aigne gach oíche ’s gach lá Im chodladh no im dhúiseacht, líon mé le do ghrá. Bí thusa ’mo threorú i mbriathar ’s i mbeart Fan thusa go deo liom is coinnigh mé ceart Glac cúram mar Athair, is éist le mo ghuí Is tabhair domsa áit cónaí istigh i do chroí. Other languages A Swedish translation Gå inte förbi was recorded by Sissel Kyrkjebø and Peter Jöback in 2003. A Scottish Gaelic translation Soills’ Air Mo Smuain was made by Céitidh Mhoireasdan Christian Thought Blessings Beth Boyle's Prayer Beads Carols Hymns The Rams Horn Studio Home Copyright 2009 , Jim & Beth Boyle, All Rights ReservedNo part of this website may be used for any purpose ( including using images ) without written consent from The Rams Horn