Friday, March 16, 2012

Saint Patrick's Breastplate [or the Faed Fiada “Deer’s Cry”]






Saint Patrick's Breastplate [or the Faed Fiada “Deer’s Cry”]
The prayer used by St. Patrick to protect his followers from the Druids-He prayed and the whole group appeared to the assassins as deer and ran past the them to the hall of the king where he successfully did a battle of words with the Druids, like Elijah of old . “They can bring darkness, but they cannot bring Light,” he  remarked.  {I really like this translation because Dr. Siegerson perfectly matched the number of syllables to the original Gaelic of St. Patrick!  Can you hear the lilt?  It is a 'Lorica' or prayer of protection and is the very first Christian prayer or song composed in Gaelic.}
 
I bind me to-day
            Gods might to direct me
            Gods Power to protect me
            Gods wisdom for learning
            Gods eye for discerning
            Gods ear for my hearing
            Gods Word for my clearing
            Gods hand for my cover
            Gods path to pass over
            Gods buckler to guard me
            Gods army to ward me
                        Against snares of the devil
                        Against vices temptation
                        Against wrong inclination
                        Against men who plot evil
                        Near or afar with many or few
            Christ near
            Christ here
            Christ be with me
            Christ beneath me
            Christ within me
            Christ behind me
            Christ be o er me
            Christ before me

            Christ in the left and the right
            Christ hither and thither
            Christ in the sight
                        Of each eye that shall seek me
                        In each ear that shall hear
                        In each mouth that shall speak me
            Christ not the less
            In each heart I address

I bind me to-day on the Triune  - I call
With faith in the Trinity - unity  - God over all.