(taken from: http://shaw.iol.ie/~santing/patrick/index.html
before it disappeared.)
Saint Patrick’s Breastplate
1.
I bind myself today to a
strong virtue, an invocation of the Trinity.
I believe in a Threeness,
with confession of an Oneness in the Creator of the Universe.
2.
I bind myself today to
the virtue of Christ's birth with his baptism,
to the virtue of his
crucifixion with his burial,
to the virtue of his
resurrection with his ascension,
to the virtue of his
coming to the Judgment of Doom.
3.
I bind myself today to
the virtue of ranks of Cherubim,
in obedience of Angels,
[in service of
Archangels]
in hope of resurrection
for reward,
in prayers of Patriarchs,
in preaching of Apostles,
in faiths of Confessors,
in innocence of Holy
Virgins,
in deeds of righteous
men.
4.
I bind myself today to
the virtue of Heaven,
In light of Sun,
In brightness of Snow
In splendour of Fire,
In speed of Lightning,
In swiftness of Wind,
In depth of Sea,
In stability of Earth,
In compactness of Rock.
5.
I bind myself today to
God's Virtue 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 to
me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to secure me,
Against snares of demons,
Against seductions of vices,
Against lusts of nature,
Against every one who wishes ill to me,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in a multitude.
6.
So have I invoked all these virtues between me, [and these]
against every cruel,
merciless power which may come against my body and my soul
against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of heathenry,
against false laws of heretics,
against craft of idolatry,
against spells of women and smiths and druids,
against every knowledge that defiles men's souls.
7.
Christ to protect me today,
Against poison, against
burning, against drowning, against death-wound,
Until a multitude of rewards come to me!
8.
Christ with me, Christ
before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me!
Christ below me, Christ above me.
Christ at my right, Christ at my left!
Christ in breadth, Christ
in length, Christ in height!
9.
Christ in the heart of
everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me!
10.
I bind myself today to a
strong virtue, an invocation of the Trinity.
I believe in a Threeness
with confession of a Oneness, in the Creator of [the universe.]
Salvation is the Lord's,
salvation is the Lord's, salvation is Christ's
May Thy salvation, O
Lord, be always with us.
Notes:
The preface to this Hymn
in the Book of Hymns states that it is written "in the time of Loeghaire,
son of Niall." It is definitely not composed by St. Patrick, but it clearly
shows his faith. This hymn is written in a very ancient dialect of Irish.
The key to understand
this hymn is probably found in Hebrew 12 and 1 Corinthians 3.
As a Christian,
with a vivid sense of the reality of his privileges, he felt that he was
brought into union with an innumerable company of angels, with the general
assembly and the church of the first-born, with God, the Judge of all, with the
spirits of righteous men made perfect and with Jesus, the mediator of the new
covenant. Whatever evil might confront him - moral, intellectual or
physical - originating from demonic powers and initiated by spells and
incantations, Patrick found himself depending on the Creator God - the Ruler of
everything.
The translation and
the notes are taken from "The Epistles & Hymn of Saint Patrick" by
Thomas Olden, Dublin 1876. The notes have been edited by me [the original
website owner].
1. Atomring for ad-dom-ring; the verb adring is equivalent to alligo,
"I bind to," with the personal pronoun dom, "me." This
expression seems to mean: "I connect myself with" or "I claim to
have on my site."
3. 'Inendgai noemingen' Some translate this line with "The
purity of the Holy Virgin." However, the word is clearly
plural. Neither St. Patrick nor Secundinus mention the "Holy
Virgin" once - in clear contrast with the veneration of her now.
4. The Irish deified the powers of nature, as appears from the
case of King Laeghaire, (Leary,) who, being taken prisoner in battle,
"swore by the Sun and Moon, the Water and the Air, Day and Night, Sea and
Land, that he would never demand the Borumean tribute again;" but having
broken his promise, "the Sun and Wind killed him." St. Patrick, as a
Christian, claims to have them all on his side. "All things work together
for good for them that love God." All things were his.
5. The bible portrays the demons as real beings, servants of
Satan, fallen angels. They are active behind the scenes of the powers in the
world and are ready to seduce the minds of sinful men. St Patrick recognised the
danger of these powers, and of their direct servants, the druids.
10. In the original, the last three lines are in Latin.
Current Hymnal Versions
Cecil Frances Alexander translated and arranged St. Patrick's Breastplate
into poetic meter. An Irish melody was adapted to the words by Charles
Villiers Stanford. The result is missing #6 and #7 above due to the
arrangements by Cecil Frances Alexander. This is unfortunate because those
sections contain the only deliverance from witchcraft in the Breastplate.
This has left these Christians vulnerable to witchcraft attack.
The tune and words are referenced in all hymnals at this
link.
The Hymn "I bind unto myself today"
(tune title, St. Patrick irregular,
arranged by Charles Villiers Stanford).
In the Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church
of Canada (fondly known as the Red Book, it is number 68, and the words are
ascribed to St. Patrick, translated by Cecil Frances Alexander. The tune
is an "ancient Irish hymn melody". We use this in our church for
dedication services, and inductions of priests, bishops and lay people into the
service of the church.
I Bind Unto Myself Today
I bind unto myself today
the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same
the three in one, and one in three.
I bind this day to me forever,
by power of faith, Christ's incarnation
his baptism in Jordan's river,
His death on cross for my salvation,
his bursting forth from the spic`ed tomb,
his riding up the heavenly ways,
his coming at the day of doom,
I bind unto myself today.
I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the star-lit heaven,
the glorious sun's life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea
around the old eternal rocks.
I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken to my need,
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward,
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to 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.
I bind unto myself the name,
the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the three in one, and one in three,
of whom all nature hath creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word.
Praise to the Lord of my salvation;
salvation is of Christ the Lord.
editted Sept. 23, 2014 orderofsaintpatrick.org/breatplate.htm
