Origins: Breastplate of St. Patrick

31 May 01 - 08:11 AM (#473533)
Subject: Lyr Add: LÚIREACH PHÁDRAIG
From: GUEST,Brían

Here is a hymn I learned on a gaeltacht weekeend years ago. I posted a question in a thread about the Hymn Be Thou My Vision acouple of weeks ago.

I think there is some relationship between the two hymns, because the seem very similar. The melody to The Breastplate of Patrick is Bunessan which is the same melody as the modern hymn, Morning Has Broken. Thre is also an Anglican version of The Breastplate of Patrick to the melody Gartan. The melody to the hymn Be Thou My Vision is Slane.

Bells went off in my head when I found out that Slane is a place which is important in the legend of Saint Patrick, being the place he lit the Paschal fire that supposedly signaled the close(?) of the pagan era in Ireland. I think there is no accident that that melody was chosen for the hymn Be Thou My Vision, although I don't have any proof.

I am wondering if anyone knows any other hyms or songs to the melody Bunessan aside from Morning Has Broken. I would also like to know if anyone has any idea how old The gaelic versions of The Breastplate of Patrick or Be Thou My Vision are.

LÚIREACH PHÁDRAIG

Críost ar gach taobh díom;
Críost amach romham;
Críost taobh thiar díom;
Mo dhidean sa ghá.
Críost i mo chroí istigh,
Críost fúm is tharam;
Críost do mo thacu,
Mo neart os cionn cách.

Críost ar mo dheasláimh,
Críost ar mo chlé dom/
Críost i mo thimpeall,
Mo sciath is mo scáth.
Críost i mo luí dom,
Críost i mo shuí dom,
Críost liom ar m'éirí,
á adhradh gach lá.

Críost i ngach éinne
a mbímse 'na intinn;
Críost i ngach béal bhíonn
ag labhairt liom nó fúm.
Críost isna súile
dhearcann im' éadan;
Críost isna cluasa
a éisteann lem' rún.

I'm sorry, that's all I have time for now. I'll post the english words later.

Slán go fóill,

Brían

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Click for related thread

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31 May 01 - 08:27 AM (#473539)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: IanC

Here's info on "Be Thou My Vision"

Be Thou My Vision
Text: Ancient Irish; trans. by Mary E. Byrne, 1880-1931;
versed by Eleanor H. Hull, 1860-1935, alt.
Music: Trad. Irish melody; harm. by Carlton R. Young, 1963
Tune: SLANE, Meter: 10 10.9 10

Cheers!
Ian

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31 May 01 - 08:54 AM (#473553)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Robby

Welcome, Brian

I was glad to find someone else who knows that the Breastplate of Patrick is set to "Morning Has Broken", our choir master doesn't. But that is how I learned it from my grandmother. As to one of your questions, I know of one other hymn also set to Morning Has Broken and that is "This Day God Gives Me"

Slan

Robby

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31 May 01 - 06:49 PM (#473966)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,Brían

That's great, Rob. Could you post the words and any history you know of the song?

Brían

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31 May 01 - 11:54 PM (#474190)
Subject: ADD: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,Brían

Here are the English words:

Breastplate of Saint Patrick

Christ be beside me,
Christ be before me.
Christ be behind me
King of my heart.
Christ be within me,
Christ be below me.
Christ be above me
Never to part.

Christ on my right hand,
Christ on my left hand.
Christ all around me
Shield in the strife.
Christ in my sleeping,
Christ in my sitting.
Christ in my rising
Light of my life.

Christ be in all hearts
Thinking about me.
Christ be on all tongues
Telling of me.
Christ be the vision
In eyes that see me,
In ears that hear me
Christ ever be.

Slán go fóill.

Brían

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01 Jun 01 - 12:14 AM (#474200)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: alison

Here's the version we sang... to a wonderful Ancient Irish Melody - Clonmacnoise a beautiful place on a bend in the Shannon (pics here + a MIDI of Slane).....

Breastplate of Saint Patrick

Christ be with me,
Christ within me.
Christ behind me
Christ before me

Christ beside me,
Christ to win me.
Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me,
Christ above me.
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

slainte

alison

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01 Jun 01 - 12:33 AM (#474212)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: alison

I found the full version at the cyber Hymnal the whole "I bind unto myself today".... (which is to the tune "St Patrick".)

the "Christ be in me" bit is part way through... not a very good MIDI though......

slainte

alison

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01 Jun 01 - 12:40 AM (#474220)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: alison

I can't find the clonmacnoise tune anywhere on the Net... if you need it let me know and I'll do you a MIDI....

slainte

alison ([e-mail])

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01 Jun 01 - 02:16 AM (#474251)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Clinton Hammond

There's a "St. Patrick's Breastplate-traditional" listed as one of the tunes in "The James Medley" on Stepehen Fearings album OUT TO SEA...

that the tune you mean?

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01 Jun 01 - 03:28 AM (#474266)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: alison

don't know Clinton... you got a MIDI??

slainte

alison

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01 Jun 01 - 07:25 AM (#474318)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,Brían

That's great, Alison. Do you know if the original words can be attributed directly to Patrick?

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01 Jun 01 - 08:59 AM (#474362)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,Robby (at a different PC)

Hi Brian,
I will be glad to post the lyrics, but it won't be until Monday. Unfortunately, our hymnal does not give any history of it.
Robby

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01 Jun 01 - 01:42 PM (#474571)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Clinton Hammond

I don't do midi... could mp3 it up though...

;-)

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01 Jun 01 - 02:12 PM (#474599)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Clinton Hammond

It kinda sounds like "Robersons Waterloo".. a.k.a. the theme from The Friendly Giant...

Kinda...

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01 Jun 01 - 02:49 PM (#474638)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Clinton Hammond

But I suppose on Canadians are gonna know that...

nevermind...

;-)

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01 Jun 01 - 05:31 PM (#474771)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Liz the Squeak

St Patricks Breastplate is the name given to the tune for the Pentecost hymn 'I bind unto myself today'. The middle bit (Christ within me, Christ beside me) bit is another tune. St Pat's Breastplate - or Paddy's vest as it is affectionately known, goes very nicely as a triple jig.

It was based on a traditional tune, supposedly written by the saint himself, for the pipes.

LTS

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01 Jun 01 - 06:09 PM (#474795)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Burke

Brian, take a look at this page Click here.

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01 Jun 01 - 09:42 PM (#474923)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,Brían

Thanks, everyone. I find these tunes so interesting that they are religious tunes and folk tunes at the same time.What I find so frustrating is there seems to be so little information about the history of The Breastplate Of Patrick. It is fascinating to see it being sung with a variety of tunes the way many folk tunes are sung. Using the melody Slane as the tune for Be Thou My Vision suggests to me that the arranger may have seen a connection between the two tunes as well. By the way, thanks everyone for the cyberhymnals. I'm starting to get quite a collection of them.

Bhuel, beidh mé ag caint libh aríst,
Brían

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02 Jun 01 - 12:08 AM (#474971)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: alison

Clinton.... mp3 it my way please

slainte

[e-mail]

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02 Jun 01 - 03:40 AM (#475041)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Clinton Hammond

Won't have time till Monday or Tuesday Alison...

ya still mydoc-sing?

;-)

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02 Jun 01 - 08:05 AM (#475079)
Subject: Lyr Add: THIS DAY GOD GIVES ME
From: GUEST,Robby (from a different PC)

Brian,
I did find the lyrics to This Day God Gives Me and they are below, so you won't have to wait until Monday.

THIS DAY GOD GIVES ME

This day God gives me strength of high heaven
Sun and moon shining, flame in my hearth
Flashing of lightning, wind in its swiftness
Deeps of the ocean, firmness of earth.

This day God sends me Strength as my guardian
Might to uphold me, Wisdom as guide.
Your eyes are watchful, Your ears are listening
Your lips are speaking, Friend at my side.

God's way is my way, God's shield is round me
God's host defends me, saving from ill.
Angels of heaven drive from me always
All that would harm me, stand by me still.

Rising I thank You, Mighty and Strong One
King of Creation, Giver of Rest.
Firmly confessing Threeness of Persons
Oneness of Godhead, Trinity blest.

Robby

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Note from Joe Offer:
Text attributed to St. Patrick, 372-466
Adapted by James Quinn, S.J. (Jesuit), born 1919
©1969
Tune: Bunessan 55 54 D

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02 Jun 01 - 08:34 AM (#475089)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,Brían

That is beautiful, Robby. It also seems to be a lorica like Be Thou My Vision and Patrick's Breastplate.
Patrick was born about 389 A.D. Be Thou My Vision dates about 700 A.D..It would probably be very hard to prove authorship of something going back that far, or its origin.

Brían

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02 Jun 01 - 05:08 PM (#475316)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,JTT

We sang a different version in school; it started:

I bind unto myself this day
The strong name of the Trinity
The three in one, the one in three
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ above me
Christ below me
Christ in the mouth of all who speak of me
Christ in the mind of all who think of me

And so on. Different tune.

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03 Jun 01 - 12:49 AM (#475539)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Oversoul

Christ! And I thought Thoreau was "out there!" Fuck it, maybe I'll just stay home and read this summer. Thanks guys!

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03 Jun 01 - 03:23 PM (#475893)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,JTT

Oh, and by the way, if you're looking for it, you might also try under The Deers' Song, because that was the old name, based on the story about St Patrick and some of his community walking through the forests when some anti-Christian types were looking for them; they took on the appearance of a family of deer making their way through the trees.

Of course, there were no martyrs made during the coming of Christianity to Ireland, unusually.

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05 Jun 01 - 02:30 AM (#476582)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,Brían

I found information on a song talked about on an earlier thread:"Leanbh an Áigh"in the Cyber Hymnal, Alison.
The thread was talking about "Morning has Broken".It's author(Leanbh an Áigh) Mary Macdougall Macdonald (1789-1872)was born in 1789, near Bunessan, Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides. She was the daughter of a Baptist cleric and wife of a small land holder, Mary lived in the village of Cancan. She wrote both songs and poetry in Gaelic.
That gives me some information on the source of the melody.
Brían.

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27 Jul 01 - 06:13 PM (#516335)
Subject: Lyr Add: FÀETH FIADA
From: Haruo

Here's a text from a Catholic Apologetics site that I think must be a literal translation of whatever Mrs. Alexander was working from. Apparently the Irish title is

FÀETH FIADA

I arise today
in a mighty strength
calling upon the Trinity
believing in the Three Persons
saying they are One
thanking my Creator.

I arise today,
strengthened by Christ's own baptism
made strong by his crucifixion and his burial
made strong by his resurrection and his ascension
made strong by his descent to meet me on the day of doom.

I arise today

strengthened by cherubims' love of God
by obedience of all angels
by service of archangels
by hope in reward of my resurrection
by prayers of the fathers
by predictions of prophets
by preachings of apostles
by the faith of confessors
by shyness of holy virgins:
by deeds of all holy men.

I arise today
through strength in the sky:
light of sun
moon's reflection
dazzle of fire
speed of lightning
wild wind
deep sea
firm earth
hard rock.

I arise today
with God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me
God's wisdom to guide me
God's eye to look ahead for me
God's ear to hear me
God's word to speak for me
God's hand to defend me
God's way to lie before me
God's shield to protect me
God's host to safeguard me:

against devil's traps
against attraction of sin
against pull of nature
against all who wish me ill
near and far
alone
and in a crowd.

I summon all these powers to protect me -

against ever cruel and wicked powers that stand
against me
body and soul
against false prophet's wild words
against dark ways of heathen
against false laws of heretics
against magic and idolatry
against spells of smiths, witches and wizards
against every false lore that snares body and soul.

Christ protect me today

against poison, against burning
against drowning, against wounding
so that I may come to enjoy your rich reward.

Christ ever with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me
Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me
Christ to my right side, Christ to my left
Christ in his breadth, Christ in his length, Christ in depth
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me
Christ in every eye that sees me
Christ in every ear to hears me.

I arise today

in mighty strength
making in my mouth the Trinity
believing in mind Three Persons
confessing in heart they are One
thanking my Creator.

Salvation is from the Lord
Salvation is from the Lord
Salvation is from Christ
May your salvation
Three Lords
Be always with us.

So, still looking for the Irish text.

Liland

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28 Jul 01 - 06:15 PM (#516800)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Haruo

Alison did you ever come up with a MIDI for the "clonmacnoise" tune you mentioned? Does it differ a great deal from the tunes Anglicans use (i.e. "St. Patrick's Breastplate" that plays on the Cyber Hymnal, plus "Deirdre" for the "Christ be this way, Christ be that way" part? Could you email it to me? Brían, I have a page devoted to Bunessan texts in my online Esperanto hymnal; mostly Esperanto, but also links to one Scottish Gaelic and a couple English... and there is a German hymn "Herrlicher Morgen" by one W. Hermann (I have an Esperanto translation of it in my hymnal), but I haven't seen the German text and am not sure if it should be considered "a translation of", "based on", "inspired by" or "independent of" Farjeon's "Morning has broken" (or, of course, there's always the slim chance that she based "Morning has broken" on the German...)

Liland

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28 Jul 01 - 07:32 PM (#516838)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE DEER'S CRY
From: McGrath of Harlow

You'd be more likely to find it as The Deer's Cry. There's more of it than is included in the various hymns taken from it.

It's been translated a few times. The one I like was by Kuno Meyer at the start of the last century. Here's a link to this. The first poem in it is a fuller version of it.

And I'll put it in here, because it's worth reading:

THE DEER'S CRY

Patrick sang this hymn when the ambuscades were laid against him by King Loeguire (Leary) that he might not go to Tara to sow the faith. Then it seemed to those lying in ambush that he and his monks were wild deer with a fawn, even Benen, following them. And its name is 'Deer's Cry.'

I arise to-day
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise to-day
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise to-day
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preachings of apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise to-day
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendour of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise to day
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in a multitude.

I summon to-day all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ to shield me to-day
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise to-day
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

(That's what I call a prayer!)

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29 Jul 01 - 05:40 AM (#517019)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Brían

Liland, PM your e-mail address, and I'll see if I can send the file to you that Alison sent to me.

Brían.

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29 Jul 01 - 04:09 PM (#517285)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Haruo

Done, Brían. Thanks.

McGrath, thank you too. Now, do you know where I can find (1) the tune Patrick allegedly prayed all this to and/or (2) the original Gaelic text that this is a translation of? So far the Gaelic texts I have seen for it appear to be only the "Christ here and Christ there" part.

Liland

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29 Jul 01 - 04:26 PM (#517292)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Sorcha

Has anybody thought to ask Aine? She is more likely to have it or know where it's to be found than anyone else I know. (alison, but she has already responded)

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29 Jul 01 - 04:30 PM (#517295)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: McGrath of Harlow

Well, for what it's worth, here's what Kuno Meyer wrote in the notes in his book Selections from Ancient Irish Poetry Translated, published 1911:

For the text and translation see Stokes and Strachan, Thesaurus Paleohibernicus (University Press, Cambridge), vol ii, p354. I have adapted the translation there given in some details. The hymn in the form in which it has come down to us cannot be earlier than the eighth century.

Mind, I'm sure you could find it in a more recent book than that. It's a major text of Irish literature. Enter The Deer's Cry in the right search engines, and you should find all kinds of stuff.

As for the tune, I'm inclined to doubt you'd find any tune that can be authenticated as being used with this in the eighth century, let alone a few hundred years earlier when St Patrick was on the go. But authenticity isn't the central thing anyway, fittingness is.

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29 Jul 01 - 05:18 PM (#517315)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: McGrath of Harlow

Whitley Stokes

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29 Jul 01 - 05:26 PM (#517316)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: McGrath of Harlow

Thesaurus Paleohibernicus

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29 Jul 01 - 09:08 PM (#517430)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Brían

I tend to agree with McGrath, Liland. With a melody of this age, it becomes very hard to know what melody goes with what text or if the melody came first or the text. Look at this thread:BE THOU MY VISION for a discussion which prompted me to start this thread. Of course the melody, SLANE is associated with Patrick, and I could see similarities in the text, but I can find no connection. I know the melody was added to BE THOU MY VISION a lot later. Its just the sort of puzzle I would like to crack, no matter how long it takes.

Brían.

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29 Jul 01 - 09:13 PM (#517433)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: McGrath of Harlow

The Deer's Cry is more like a litany or the Creed, or the Psalms, rather than a song. You can have tunes set to them, but the words have a separate life from whatever tune is used.

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05 Aug 01 - 09:31 PM (#521639)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,Bri/an(from another computer)

In How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill, The present form of the BREASTPLATE OF PATRICK dates to about the 8th century,about the same time as BE THOU MY VISION. It is hard to attribute this hymn to Ptrick, but the spirit is Patrician. It is a definite depature from a Roman Christianity.

Bri/an.

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05 Aug 01 - 09:41 PM (#521641)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)

Note to the Puget Sound Revels GUEST of June 2: the words you sang are by Susan Cooper, who has written many alternative lyrics to de-christianize music in order to make it more digestible to today's more secular audiences. Now, when I started in Revels, way back in nine-teen-ought-seventy-seven, the great Jack Langstaff pretty much kept the words as written. But that has changed.

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07 Aug 01 - 10:00 PM (#523112)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Haruo

McGrath, you wrote

The Deer's Cry is more like a litany or the Creed, or the Psalms, rather than a song. You can have tunes set to them, but the words have a separate life from whatever tune is used.

and I just thought I should remind us all that a number of the "official" 150 Psalms have headings [they usually begin To the choirmaster or words to that effect] that actually do specify the tune (and usually sound a whole lot like they were already "folk" tunes back in the 3rd century BCE or whenever the headings were written). As far as I know no one nowadays has a clue what any of those tunes were, but it has often occurred to me that some very careful cantic genome studies, so to speak, focussing on synagogue chants, might be able to piece something together. Anybody know if this has been worked on? Comparisons with Mesopotamian or Persian melodies of the ancient world, to the extent the notations can be deciphered, might also help.

Pretty off-topic, I know, but you know how it is...

Liland

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08 Aug 01 - 02:42 AM (#523268)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,Episcopal (US) Hymnal

Most US Episcopal churches are welcoming places, and most have the current hymnal plus previous around, I don't have a hymnal to hand of any provenance, but it has been in the hymnal since I've been going to church (1955)--I don't think the melody's changed, or the words, but I could be wrong.

I believe it is listed in the index as "St. Patrick's Breastplate".

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09 Aug 01 - 08:18 PM (#524775)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: Haruo

Episcopal Guest, yes but, it's a little more complicated than that (and apparently the Irish traditions and the Episcopalian traditions aren't unanimous). But yes, the Hymnal 1982 certainly has the (US) "normal" tunes in it.

Liland

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23 Jun 04 - 02:13 PM (#1213037)
Subject: Help: Lorica of St Patrick
From: GUEST,gigix

I know that this matter has been already discussed in earlier threads, but frankly I got lost....
So, the question is: there is a tune called "the Lorica of St. Patrick", that should match with a version of the well known prayer with the same title.
Both the midi tune and the text I mean are at:
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/t/stpatric.htm
BUT.... I tried to match the words with the tune, with no results. Does anyone know if there is a recorded version of this, so that I can catch it?
Thanks a lot......

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23 Jun 04 - 05:38 PM (#1213156)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,JTT

Here's the various choruses, with (spoken, by a native speaker) soundfiles:

http://indigo.ie/~tcbr/religion.htm

This is the version we sang in school, in English:

http://www.irishabroad.com/stpatrick/life/breastplate.asp

Here it is in Old Irish and Latin, which is probably what you're after:

http://www.celtic-catholic-church.org/library/prayer/Atomriug_indiu.html

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06 Jul 04 - 06:52 AM (#1219824)
Subject: RE: Help: Breastplate of Patrick
From: GUEST,gigix

Thanks a lot, JTT, I will check the links you kindly gave to me.

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