Hymn Story: Be Thou My Vision

 

(Sam Stack)  The text of this hymn comes to us from the Irish church sometime during the seventh or eighth century. It is filled with various titles for God. The word vision refers to our focus and the goals we strive to obtain. As we go though life we can realize that our short term failures and disappointments are trivial when compared to the vision of heaven.

 

The text was translated and set into verse form by Mary Elizabeth Byrne and Eleanor Henrietta Hull. The hymn as we know it was published in 1912 and set to the Irish tune SLANE in 1919.

 

Be Thou My Vision

(Hymn Tune SLANE)

 

Verse 1

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.

 

Verse 2

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.

 

Verse 3

Be Thou my shield, and my sword for the fight;

Be Thou my dignity, be Thou my might;

Thou my soul's shelter, and Thou my high tower;

Raise Thou me heavenward, O power of my power.

 

Verse 4

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise;

Thou mine inheritance, now and always;

Thou and Thou only be first in my heart;

High King of heaven, My treasure Thou art.

 

Verse 5

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.

 

Eleanor Henrietta Hull | Mary Elizabeth Byrne

© Words: Public Domain

Music: Public Domain