Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart. Irish, 8th century, translated by Mary E. Byrne* (1880-1931), versified by Eleanor Hull* (1860-1935).
This text is found in two manuscripts in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin, dating possibly from the 8th century, one a poor copy of the other. The Irish text begins:
Rop tú ma baile a Choimdiu cride:
ní ní nech aile acht Rí secht nime.
It had sixteen 2-line stanzas, many beginning ‘Rop tú’ (‘Be thou’). The stanzas were translated by Mary E. Byrne (Máiri Ní Bhroin), as follows:
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart.
None other is aught but the King of the seven heavens.
Be thou my meditation by day and night;
May it be thou...
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MLA style (see MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd Ed.)
. "Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press. Web. 3 Nov. 2024.<
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/b/be-thou-my-vision,-o-lord-of-my-heart>.
Chicago style (see The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Ed.)
. "Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed November 3, 2024,
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/b/be-thou-my-vision,-o-lord-of-my-heart.