I have blogged this before in a couple of forms: AOV and CWB I.
The tune is traditional Irish “, SLANE, and the text is an “ancient Irish hymn” as translated by Mary Elizabeth Byrne and adapted by Eleanor Henrietta Hull… and everyone else.
John de Luca gives us six verses and the words below are as in his hymnal, where he has left the archaisms and not watered down the battles and the swords. My wind up BIAB organ is based on his arrangement but is all my own fault.
- 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 and 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 art my great Father, and I thy true Son;
Thou in me dwelling, I with thee one.- Be thou my shield and my sword for the fight;
Be thou my armour, and be thou my might:
Thou art my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tower:
Raise thou me heav’nward, O Power of my power.- Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance through all my days,
For thou, and thou only, the first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.- King of high heaven, keep thou ever whole
Thy love in my heart, thy light in my soul;
O light of my soul, from me never part,
King of high heaven, O love of my heart.- High King of Heaven, when battle is done
Grant heaven’s joy to me, bright heaven’s Sun;
O Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.