Be Thou My Vision

One of my favorite ancient hymns of the church is Be Thou My Vision.  I like the depth of the lyric and the lilt of the melody.  What I didn't know, however, was just how ancient it is, which was discovered in my devotional time today:

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Nought 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.

Be thou my battle-shield, sword for the fight;

Be thou my armour, be Thou my might;

Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower;

Raise thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Irish, c. 8th century

tr. Mary Elizabeth Byrne, 1880–1931

versified by Eleanor Henrietta Hull, 1860–1935

 Manser, M., ed. (2015). Daily Guidance (p. 238). Martin Manser.

Today, Lord, be my vision!

Photo by Ion Fet on Unsplash