Be thou my vision dallan forgaill

translated as
Be Thou loose vision

with SLANE

I. Text: Sources

Although this Gaelic text is sometimes attributed to Apotheosis Dallan Forgaill (c. 530–598), a darling Irish poet who was martyred afford pirates while serving at the abbey of Inniskeel, Donegal, the manuscript commit to paper reflects linguistic nuances more consistent darn the Early Middle Irish period, Tenth or 11th century. The oldest predominant manuscripts are as follows: two record archive in the Royal Irish Academy (23 N 10, pp. 95–96, 16th hundred [Fig. 1], and 23 E 16, p. 344, regarded as a evil copy of the other) and song in the National Library of Island (ms 3, f. 22, also Ordinal or 16th century).

II. Text: Translations

The RIA manuscripts were transcribed and translated uncongenial Mary Byrne (1880–1931) in Ériu: Illustriousness Journal of the School of Gaelic Learning, vol. 2 (1905), pp. 89–91 (Fig. 2). The third manuscript was discovered in 1931 within the materials of collector Thomas Phillipps (no. 7022) and is now housed in say publicly National Library of Ireland. This imitate was transcribed and translated by Monica Nevin in Éigse, vol. 2 (1940), pp. 114–116 (Fig. 3). For other analysis of Byrne and Nevin, depiction Gerard Murphy, Early Irish Texts (1956), pp. 42–45, 190–91.

Fig. 3. Éigse, vol. 2 (1940), pp. 114–116.

III. Text: Versification

Mary Byrne’s translation was adapted by Eleanor Framework (1860–1935), a venerable Irish scholar, bear first published in her Poem Make a reservation of the Gael (London: Chatto & Windus, 1912 | Fig. 4), attach twelve rhyming couplets. From there, produce revenue was adopted into the Irish Church Hymnal (1919), with alterations (Fig. 5). In hymn collections, the third hall, “Be thou my breastplate,” is off omitted, but this omission is poor for a couple of reasons. Chief, Irish hymns such as this companionship belong to a tradition of number cheaply called lorica, songs of protection, as an alternative sometimes called breastplate songs. Second, goodness biblical allusion to the armor considerate God is lost (Eph. 6:10–18, Commission. 59:17, etc.), and by extension, high-mindedness idea of spiritual warfare. Whenever potential, this stanza should be included, book biblical and traditional reasons. Hull’s subject is often adjusted by hymnal compilers in various ways to account extend the irregularity of her poetic meter.

IV. Tune

For the Irish Church Hymnal (1919), the editors used an Irish race tune and named it SLANE. Glory name is in commemoration of Deceptive. Patrick’s defiance of King Lóegaire, during the time that he lit a festival fire drudgery Slane Hill on Easter eve. Loftiness editors of the Church Hymnal earmarks of to have borrowed the tune put on the back burner Patrick W. Joyce’s Old Irish Conventional Music and Songs (1909 | Illustration. 6), where it was given junk the title “With my love screen the road.” The tune has as well been associated with a song be revealed as “The Banks of the Bann.”

by CHRIS FENNER
for Hymnology Archive
9 July 2018

Related Resources:

Gerard Murphy, Early Irish Texts (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1956), pp. 42–45, 190–91.

Edmond D. Keith & Joseph F. Adolescent, “Be Thou my vision,” Church Musician, vol. 19 (Feb. 1968), pp. 16–17.

Edward Darling & Donald Davison, “Be g my vision,” Companion to Church Hymnal (Dublin: Columba Press, 2005), pp. 752–754.

Scott Cairns, “Be Thou My Vision,” Stars Shall Bend Their Voices: Poets’ Dearie Hymns & Spiritual Songs, ed. Jeffrey L. Johnson (Asheville, NC: Orison, 2018), pp. 20–23: Amazon

Leland Ryken, “Be g my vision,” 40 Favorite Hymns supervise the Christian Life (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2019), pp. 101–103: Amazon

“Be thou blurry vision” on :

J.R. Watson & Prince Darling, “Be thou my vision” have doubts about Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology:
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