![]() Irish liturgy and ritual scholar Helen Phelan, a lecturer at the University of Limerick, points out how the language of this hymn is drawn from traditional Irish culture: "One of the essential characteristics of the text is the use of 'heroic' imagery to describe God. and it has become a standard hymn in most hymnals today. After World War II, the hymn came to the attention of hymnal editors in the U.S. Hull versified the text and it was published in her Poem Book of the Gael (1912).įollowing the original publication in Ireland, the hymn was included in a number of British hymnals. Born in Manchester, England, she was the founder of the Irish Text Society and president of the Irish Literary Society of London. It is at this point that Eleanor Hull (1860-1935) enters the story. None other is aught but the King of the seven heavens.Īnd the last is: O heart of my heat, whate'er befall me, O ruler of all, be thou my vision. The first is: Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart. The original prose translation comes to us in 16 couplets. Byrne was also known for her academic publications, including Old and Mid-Irish Dictionary, Dictionary of the Irish Language, and a treatise, England in the Age of Chaucer. The Irish text, beginning "Rob tu mo bhoile, a Comdi cride," was translated into literal prose by Irish scholar Mary Byrne (1880-1931), a Dublin native, and then published in Eriú, the journal of the School of Irish Learning, in 1905. Quite often, older hymns come to us as a collaborative effort before we are able to sing them from our hymnals. Such is the case with the famous Irish hymn, "Be Thou my vision." The original poem, found in two Irish manuscripts in the library of the Royal Irish Academy, may be dated as early as the 8th century. Sometimes hymn singing invites us to connect with the saints who have gone before. Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light. Thou my best thought, by day and by night, Naught be all else to me save that thou art. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |