Saturday 1 December 2012

Máel Ísu Ua Brolcháin - Deus Meus, Adiuva Me

Next month we will commemorate the feast of an eleventh-century Irish monastic poet, Máel Ísu Ua Brolcháin. His best-known work is a Latin and Irish hymn, Deus Meus Adiuva Me.  Here are the modern Irish lyrics plus a translation by Professor Gerard Murphy of this well-loved piece:

Deus meus adiuva me
Tabhair dom do shearch, a Mhic ghil Dé
Tabhair dom do shearch, a Mhic ghil Dé
Deus meus adiuva me.

Domine da quod peto a te,
Tabhair dom go dian a ghrian ghlan ghlé,
Tabhair dom go dian a ghrian ghlan ghlé,
Domine da quod peto a te.

Domine, Domine, exaudi me,
M’anam bheith lán de d’ghrá, a Dhé,
M’anam bheith lán de d’ghrá, a Dhé,
Domine, Domine exaudi me.


23. Deus Meus, Adiuva Me

1 My God, help me. Give me love of thee, O Son of my God. Give me love of thee, O son of my God. My God, help me.
2 Into my heart that it may be whole, O glorious King, swiftly bring love of thee. Glorious King, swiftly bring love of thee into my heart that it may be whole.
3 Lord, give what I ask of thee – give, give speedily, O bright and gleaming sun - give, give speedily, O bright and gleaming sun - Lord, give what I ask of thee.
4 This thing which I hope and seek, love of thee in this world, love of thee in that, love of thee in this world, love of thee in that, this thing which I hope and seek.
5 Love of thee, as thou wishest, give me in thy might (I will say it again). Give me in thy might (I will say it again) love of thee, as thou wishest.
6 I seek, I beg, I ask of thee that I be in Heaven, dear Son of God. That I be in Heaven, dear Son of God, I seek, I beg, I ask of thee.
7 My Lord, hear me. May my soul, O God, be full of love for thee. May my soul, O God, be full of love for thee. My God, help me.

Source: Gerard Murphy, Early Irish Lyrics: Eighth to Twelfth Centuries, (repr. Dublin 1998), 52-59.

and here is a video link to the hymn performed by Maureen Hegarty.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

excuse me, was wondering if you could maybe add the rest of the verses in Irish, as there are a few missing from the Latin translated verses?

Marcella said...

Sorry, I don't know if I have access to others, I've only ever learnt three in modern Irish. Murphy's Early Irish Lyrics will give you the original Irish text he translated.