Be Thou My Vision
Irish poem attributed to Dallan Forgaill (8th century). English translation 1905/1912. Public domain.
Verse 1
GBe Thou my Cvision, O GLord of my Emheart
GNaught be all Celse to me, Dsave that Thou Gart
GThou my best Cthought, by Gday or by Emnight
GWaking or Csleeping, Thy Dpresence my Glight
Verse 2
GBe Thou my Cwisdom, and GThou my true Emword
GI ever Cwith Thee and DThou with me, GLord
GThou my great CFather, I GThy true Emson
GThou in me Cdwelling, and DI with Thee Gone
Verse 3
GBe Thou my Cbattle shield, Gsword for the Emfight
GBe Thou my Cdignity, DThou my deGlight
GThou my soul's Cshelter, Thou Gmy high Emtower
GRaise Thou me Cheavenward, O DPower of my Gpower
Verse 4
GRiches I Cheed not, nor Gman's empty Empraise
GThou mine inCheritance, Dnow and alGways
GThou and Thou Conly, first Gin my Emheart
GHigh King of Cheaven, my Dtreasure Thou Gart
Verse 5
GHigh King of Cheaven, my Gvictory Emwon
GMay I reach Cheaven's joys, DO bright heaven's GSun
GHeart of my Cown heart, whatGever beEmfall
GStill be my Cvision, O DRuler of Gall
Playing Tips
🎸 Strum Pattern
Be Thou My Vision has a Celtic feel in 3/4 time. We play with a lilting pattern, emphasizing beat 1 and letting beats 2 and 3 flow gently. Acoustic guitar with light fingerpicking or a soft strum matches the ancient prayer character of this text far better than a modern worship strum.
🔊 Dynamics
We keep this hymn understated throughout. It is a personal prayer, not a proclamation, and it sounds best when the voices carry the dynamic rather than the instruments. We play softly from start to finish. Only on verse 5 do we allow a small swell before the final chord.
🎵 Band Direction
Acoustic guitar and a light piano pad work beautifully for Be Thou My Vision. We have used mandolin or Irish bouzouki before and it really brings out the Celtic roots of the melody. Keep the bass quiet and walking. Brushes or a light cajon is enough percussion for this one.
🎤 Vocal
Key of G is the most common key for this hymn. The melody peaks at D on "Be Thou my vision," which is comfortable for most voices. If your worship leader has a higher range, A or Bb can open up the melody nicely. This hymn works equally well with a male or female lead.
→ Transitions — Verse
Because all verses share the same tune and feel, the flow from one to the next is natural. We sometimes play the final verse a half-step up, which requires a quick capo adjustment or a modulation on keys. That lift in pitch on verse 5 creates a worshipful crescendo without adding volume.