Hymn Translated

Sing this old hymn along with me if you would……

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.

According to the folks at Wikipedia, it is from the Irish monastic tradition, was first written down in the 8th Century, was translated from Old Irish into English in 1905, and was put into verse in this form in 1912.  The tune is that of a traditional Irish folk song.

It’s a beautiful song and the sentiment and faith expressed are breathtaking, but I just don’t talk that way.  It’s beautiful to hear, but I have to work at it to get it.  It may not add much for any of my readers, but this was good therapy for me.  Here’s how I would translate that first stanza into a prose prayer:

“God, I ask that You be my focus in life and that my eyes stay fixed on you as you rule in my heart.  I don’t want anything to keep me from You as You really are.  I want You and your goodness to be what captures my thoughts and affections.  When I think of You always being there, it gives me clarity and purpose that I can count on and cling to all day and all night.”

At least I think that’s what it means, and when I sing the ancient words, that’s what I’m trying to express through them.  Cool to think about some Irish monk from the 700’s humming this same tune and using different language to express devotion to the same great God!