St Patrick’s Breastplate Hymn Lyrics

St Patrick’s Breastplate Hymn Lyrics

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 today to me forever
By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river,
His death on cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of cherubim;
The sweet Well done in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors’ faith, apostles’ word,
The patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord
And purity of virgin souls.

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.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

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.

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.
By whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

St. Patrick’s Breastplate Hymn Story

St. Patrick’s Breastplate is an Irish Christian hymn that was prepared by Cecil F Alexander. It is a translation of a Gaelic poem.

The word translated as breastplate in English is from Gaelic, “lorica” which was a mystical garment that protected the one putting it on. It was also said that the “lorica” was seen as a guarantee of entry into heaven.

According to H H Dickson who was Dean of the Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle below is how he requested Cecil Alexander to write this hymn:

“I wrote to her sug­gest­ing that she should fill a gap in our Ir­ish Church Hym­nal by giv­ing us a me­tric­al ver­sion of St. Pat­rick’s Lor­i­ca, and I sent her a care­ful­ly col­lat­ed co­py of the best prose trans­la­tions of it. With­in a week she sent me that ex­quis­ite­ly beau­ti­ful as well as faith­ful ver­sion which ap­pears in the ap­pen­dix to our Church Hym­nal”.

Below are more hymns’ lyrics and stories:

Ride On! Ride On in Majesty! Lyrics, Story, and Video

Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning

Jesus, Remember Me Lyrics

Lord, I Want to Be a Christian Lyrics

Love Came Down At Christmas Lyrics

St Patrick’s Breastplate Hymn Video