The original texts of
Rop Tú Mo Ḃaile are in
Early Middle Irish. The hymn has been translated into Modern Irish many times. The most popular is that by Aodh Ó Dúgain of
Gaoth Dobhair,
County Donegal. Two verses of his translation were recorded by his granddaughter
Máire Ní Bhraonáin – the first time any part of his text has been publicly recorded. Since then, those two verses have been recorded by many artists, including
Roma Downey and
Aoife and
Iona. These verses are paraphrases of the English text and do not closely follow the original Gaelic. The song has also been translated into
Scottish Gaelic by Céitidh Mhoireasdan and published by
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. Two variants of Eleanor Hull's 1912 English translation exist; one version, commonly used in Irish and Scottish hymnals (including the
Hymnbooks of the Church of Scotland), fits the
metre 10.10.10.10, while a paraphrased version that is used in English books (such as the
New English Hymnal) is suitable to an
anacrucial metre 10.11.11.11.
Original Old Irish Text Rop tú mo baile, a Choimdiu cride: ní ní nech aile acht Rí secht nime. Rop tú mo scrútain i lló 's i n-aidche; rop tú ad-chëar im chotlud caidche. Rop tú mo labra, rop tú mo thuicsiu; rop tussu dam-sa, rob misse duit-siu. Rop tussu m'athair, rob mé do mac-su; rop tussu lem-sa, rob misse lat-su. Rop tú mo chathscíath, rop tú mo chlaideb; rop tussu m'ordan, rop tussu m'airer. Rop tú mo dítiu, rop tú mo daingen; rop tú nom-thocba i n-áentaid n-aingel. Rop tú cech maithius dom churp, dom anmain; rop tú mo flaithius i nnim 's i talmain. Rop tussu t'áenur sainṡerc mo chride; ní rop nech aile acht Airdrí nime. Co talla forum, ré ndul it láma, mo chuit, mo chotlud, ar méit do gráda. Rop tussu t'áenur m'urrann úais amra: ní chuinngim daíne ná maíne marba. Rop amlaid dínsiur cech sel, cech sáegul, mar marb oc brénad, ar t'ḟégad t'áenur. Do ṡerc im anmain, do grád im chride, tabair dam amlaid, a Rí secht nime. Tabair dam amlaid, a Rí secht nime, do ṡerc im anmain, do grád im chride. Go Ríg na n-uile rís íar mbúaid léire; ro béo i flaith nime i ngile gréine A Athair inmain, cluinte mo núall-sa: mithig (mo-núarán!) lasin trúagán trúag-sa. A Chríst mo chride, cip ed dom-aire, a Flaith na n-uile, rop tú mo baile.
English translation by Mary Byrne (1905) Be thou my vision O Lord of my heart None other is aught but the King of the seven heavens. Be thou my meditation by day and night. May it be thou that I behold ever in my sleep. Be thou my speech, be thou my understanding. Be thou with me, be I with thee Be thou my father, be I thy son. Mayst thou be mine, may I be thine. Be thou my battle-shield, be thou my sword. Be thou my dignity, be thou my delight. Be thou my shelter, be thou my stronghold. Mayst thou raise me up to the company of the angels. Be thou every good to my body and soul. Be thou my kingdom in heaven and on earth. Be thou solely chief love of my heart. Let there be none other, O high King of Heaven. Till I am able to pass into thy hands, My treasure, my beloved through the greatness of thy love Be thou alone my noble and wondrous estate. I seek not men nor lifeless wealth. Be thou the constant guardian of every possession and every life. For our corrupt desires are dead at the mere sight of thee. Thy love in my soul and in my heart — Grant this to me, O King of the seven heavens. O King of the seven heavens grant me this — Thy love to be in my heart and in my soul. With the King of all, with him after victory won by piety, May I be in the kingdom of heaven, O brightness of the sun. Beloved Father, hear, hear my lamentations. Timely is the cry of woe of this miserable wretch. O heart of my heart, whatever befall me, O ruler of all, be thou my vision.
Aodh Ó Dúgáin’s modern Irish translation Bí Thusa ’mo shúile a Rí mhóir na ndúl Líon thusa mo bheatha mo chéadfaí ’s mo stuaim Bí thusa i m'aigne gach oíche ’s gach lá Im chodladh nó im dhúiseacht, líon mé le do ghrá. Bí thusa ’mo threorú i mbriathar ’s i mbeart Fan thusa go deo liom is coinnigh mé ceart Glac cúram mar Athair, is éist le mo ghuí Is tabhair domsa áit cónaí istigh i do chroí.
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. (The English Methodist version from 1964 omits verse 3.)
Alternative English version by Eleanor Hull (1912) Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Be all else but naught to me, save that Thou art; Be Thou my best thought in the day and the night, Both waking and sleeping, Thy presence my light. Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word; Be Thou ever with me, and I with Thee, Lord; Be Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son; Be Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one. Be Thou my Breastplate, my Sword for the fight; Be Thou my whole Armour, be Thou my true Might; Be Thou my soul's Shelter, be Thou my strong Tow’r, O raise Thou me heav’nward, great Pow’r of my pow’r. Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise; Be Thou mine inheritance, now and always; Be Thou and Thou only the first in my heart, O high King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art. High King of heaven, Thou heaven's bright Sun, O grant me its joys, after vict'ry is won; Great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be Thou my vision, O Ruler of all.
Modern Scottish Gaelic translation by Céitidh Mhoireasdan Dèan dhòmh-sa tuigse, Cuir soills’ air mo smuain; Dh’iarrainn gur Tu Bhiodh ’gam stiùreadh gach uair; Làmh rium ’s an oidhche Is romham ’s an tràth, Réidh rium ’sa mhadainn Agus glèidh mi tro’n latha. Ceartas do m’ bhriathran Agus fìrinn do m’ bheul, Thusa toirt iùil dhomh ’S mi dlùth riut, a Dhè. Athair, thoir gràdh dhomh, Gabh mis’ thugad fhéin; Cum mi ri d’ thaobh Is bi daonnan ’nam chrè. Dìon mi, a Thighearna, Ri mo chliathaich ’s gach feachd; Cùm mi fo d’ sgiath ’S thoir dhomh misneachd is neart, Fasgadh do m’ anam Is mi ri d’uchd dlùth; Treòraich mi dhachaigh, Dhè chumhachdaich Thu. Beartas cha’n fhiach leam; No miann chlann ’nan daoin’, Thusa na m’ fhianais Fad làithean mo shaogh’il Thusa, Dhè ghràsmhoir, A-mhàin na mo chrìdh’, Le blàths is gràdh sìorraidh, Mo Thighearna ’s mo Rìgh.
Other languages • Bahasa Indonesia – "Kaulah, ya Tuhan, Surya Hidupku", "Dikau, Tuhan, Jadilah Impianku" • Chinese – "成為我異象" • Czech – "Buď mojí nadějí" • Danish – "Herre, at se dig" • Dutch – "Wees Mijn Verlangen" • Esperanto – "Donu vizion de Vi, Di-Sinjor'" • Finnish – "Silmäni aukaise, Jumalani" • French – "Qu'en toi je vive, Seigneur bien aimé" • German – "Steh mir vor Augen" • Greek – "Γίνε όραμα μου Θεέ της καρδίας" • Hungarian – "Légy te menedékem" • Italian – "
Sii la mia Visione" • Japanese – "きみはわれのまぼろし", "
こころみの世にあれど" • Korean – "내 맘의 주여 소망 되소서" • Nepali – "होऊ मेरो दर्शन" • Norwegian – "Deg å få skode" • Polish – "On moim Panem" • Portuguese – "Sê minha vida, ó Deus de Poder" • Romanian – "Fii a mea lumină" • Spanish – "Oh Dios, Sé Mi Visión", "Oh Dios de mi alma, Sé Mi Visión" • Swedish – "Närmare mig (Herre, du min klippa)" • Thai – "โอ้เจ้าแห่งดวงจิต" • Taiwanese (Hokkien) - "主Tiàm我心內，無驚惶自在" • Ukrainian – "Будь мені, Боже, метою життя" • Welsh – "Bydd yn Welediad fy nghalon a'm byw" ==See also==