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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 my fight;
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight,
Thou my soul's shelter, thou my high tow'r:
Raise thou me heav'nward, O Pow'r of my pow'r.
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 heav'n's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Text: Irish Hymn, circa 18th century
Translated by Mary E. Byrne 1880-1931
Versified by Eleanor Hull 1860-1935
Tune: "Slane"
Meter: 10 10. 10 10
"Vision is the art of seeing things invisible." -Jonathan Swift
You might notice a hint of Ireland in this hymn, and you would be correct in that this hymn, while written by an anonymous pen, came from the land o' the green. The simple yet pure Celtic melody is one of the most beloved of hymnody and one of my personal favorites. The author clearly reveres the Lord through the many titles given throughout the piece.
The translation of the poem into English prose first appeared in 1905 in a journal, followed by a verse form in 1912. As with many hymns, the melody itself is one already known to the culture, and in this case the tune entitled "Slane" is used, which is why you can hear this tune with different lyrics in the secular world (most often "With My Love on the Road"). It's first use in a hymnal was in the Irish Church Hymnal of 1919. Backing up a step, the tune "Slane" is named for a hill, ten miles from Tara, in County Meath, where Saint Patrick is said to have challenged King Loegaire and the Druid priests by lighting the Paschal fire on Easter eve.
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