Be Thou My Vision

Help me see the world through your eyes Lord.

Photo by Aldo De La Paz on Unsplash

I love what began as a poem written in Old Irish somewhere between the sixth and eleventh century. It is now found in many church hymnals and is especially popular in the UK.

What I think is important to us English speakers is that it was translated in 1905 and then placed into verse in 1912.

So what’s my point so far?

Simply that, like many things in life, there is something precious about how truth and beauty distill over the rocky roads of time. Certainly there are songs and works of art I don’t understand — and a big clue that I am missing something important is when others I respect consider something worth my time, like a famous Latin choral mass composed by Bach or Haydn, for example.

Of course there are some pop songs that grab me, but usually these also only hold my interest momentarily.

If I had to explain why this is — that some works of art endure and others do not, I would say it has to do with how layered they are. And by layered I mean on how many levels they are able to activate certain parts of my brain that throw me into memories and deep unsettled thoughts. Themes like life, death, goodness, and evil hold my interest longer compered with wishing they were all California girls, for example. And this isn’t to say that we can’t learn a lot by studying pop culture and popular songs of the day — but what I think is most helpful when trying to understand the times we are living in is to see them in the context of a longer and often richer historical context.

For example, think about this. Back in the time of our Founding Fathers Beethoven lived in Vienna. He was a prolific composer. And yet those who lived when he did, for the most part never heard his music, and if they did, they heard it performed, which meant that those who heard pieces played more than once were usually other musicians, those doing the playing.

Now how many times have you listened to any of your favorite songs? Might this explain the appetite for audiences back then to listen to longer pieces? They would have wanted to sit and bask in the sound, knowing they might never hear it again. And might it also help explain why sections in long pieces are often repeated two and three times?

And what about those boring hymns at church? What if this was the only music people would hear in a week? And isn’t it true that well crafted lyrics placed within well composed music aids in retention of important information and ideas?

With all this in mind (pre-layered into your thoughts) read, as if for the first time, Be Thou My Vision. Don’t rush. Take time to draw out its meaning for you today.

Be Thou My Vision

English version by Eleanor Hull (1912)

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 Tow’r: Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

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 Heav’n's Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.