Be Thou My Vision

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.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Author: Dallán Forgaill

Year: 600

The original Old Irish text 'Rop tú mo baile' (Be Thou my Vision) is traditionally attributed to the 6th/7th-century Irish poet Dallán Forgaill (c. 530–598). The English versification used here was produced much later by Mary Elizabeth Byrne (1905) and then versified by Eleanor Hull (1912); the query asks for the author of the hymn/lyrics, which in historic Christian usage most often refers to the original author.