Lord, be my vision, supreme in my heart

Representative Text

1 Lord, be my vision, supreme in my heart,
bid every rival give way and depart:
You my best thought in the day or the night,
waking or sleeping, Your presence my light.

2 Lord, be my wisdom and be my true word,
I ever with You and You with me Lord:
You my great Father and I Your true child,
once far away, but by love reconciled.

3 Lord, be my breastplate, my sword for the fight:
be my strong armour, for You are my might;
You are my shelter, and You my high tower —
raise me to heaven, O power of my power.

4 I need no riches, nor earth's empty praise:
You my inheritance through all my days;
all of Your treasure to me you impart,
high King of heaven, the first in my heart.

5 High King of heaven, when battle is done,
grant heaven's joy to me, bright heaven's Sun;
Christ of my own heart, whatever befall
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

Source: The Irish Presbyterian Hymbook #490

Translator: Mary E. Byrne

Mary Elizabeth Byrne, M.A. (July 2, 1880 – January 19, 1931) was born in Ireland. She translated the Old Irish Hymn, "Bí Thusa 'mo Shúile," into English as "Be Thou My Vision" in Ériu (the journal of the School of Irish Learning), in 1905. See also in: Wikipedia  Go to person page >

Reviser: Eleanor Hull

(no biographical information available about Eleanor Hull.) Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Lord, be my vision, supreme in my heart
Translator: Mary E. Byrne
Reviser: Eleanor Hull
Meter: 10.10.10.10 irregular
Source: Irish, 8th century
Language: English

Tune

SLANE

SLANE is an old Irish folk tune associated with the ballad "With My Love on the Road" in Patrick W. Joyce's Old Irish Folk Music and Songs (1909). It became a hymn tune when it was arranged by David Evans (PHH 285) and set to the Irish hymn "Be Thou My Vision" published in the Church Hymnary (1927).…

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Instances

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Text

The Irish Presbyterian Hymbook #490

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