Be Thou My Vision

Sheet Music

SAATTBB arrangement by Mark Hamilton Dewey:

• Copyright: Mark Hamilton Dewey - you may treat it as if it were public domain.
• Poetic Meter: 5 5 6 4 5 5 6 5 (this differs from the normal arrangement)
• PDF
• MIDI (choir)
• MIDI (piano)
• LilyPond

Tunes and Composers

Tune: Slane (Irish Folk Melody)

• Poetic Meter: 5 5 6 4 5 5 5 5

Lyrics

Commonly Used Lyrics:

• Poet: attributed to Dallan Forgaill (8th Century)
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Poetic Meter: 5 5 6 4 5 5 5 5

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

Original Irish Lyrics:

• Copyright: Public Domain
• Poetic Meter: ?

Rop tú mo baile

1. Rop tú mo baile,
a Choimdiu cride:
ní ní nech aile
acht Rí secht nime.

2. Rop tú mo scrútain
i l-ló 's i n-aidche;
rop tú ad-chëar
im chotlud caidche.

3. Rop tú mo labra,
rop tú mo thuicsiu;
rop tussu dam-sa,
rob misse duit-siu.

4. Rop tussu m'athair,
rob mé do mac-su;
rop tussu lem-sa,
rob misse lat-su.

5. Rop tú mo chathscíath,
rop tú mo chlaideb;
rop tussu m'ordan,
rop tussu m'airer.

6. Rop tú mo dítiu,
rop tú mo daingen;
rop tú nom-thocba
i n-áentaid n-aingel.

7. Rop tú cech maithius
dom churp, dom anmain;
rop tú mo flaithius
i n-nim 's i talmain.

8. Rop tussu t' áenur
sainserc mo chride;
ní rop nech aile
acht Airdrí nime.

9. Co talla forum,
ré n-dul it láma,
mo chuit, mo chotlud,
ar méit do gráda.

10. Rop tussu t' áenur
m' urrann úais amra:
ní chuinngim daíne
ná maíne marba.

11. Rop amlaid dínsiur
cech sel, cech sáegul,
mar marb oc brénad,
ar t' fégad t' áenur.

12. Do serc im anmain,
do grád im chride,
tabair dam amlaid,
a Rí secht nime.

13. Tabair dam amlaid,
a Rí secht nime,
do serc im anmain,
do grád im chride.

14. Go Ríg na n-uile
rís íar m-búaid léire;
ro béo i flaith nime
i n-gile gréine

15. A Athair inmain,
cluinte mo núall-sa:
mithig (mo-núarán!)
lasin trúagán trúag-sa.

16. A Chríst mo chride,
cip ed dom-aire,
a Flaith na n-uile,
rop tú mo baile.