Christ be Beside Me - Quinn

This is a hymn of petition, which is based on a translation of a section of the Lorica of St Patrick.  

It was written by Scottish Roman Catholic priest James Quinn SJ (1919–2010).

With meter 5.5.5.4 D, tunes it has been set to include

• BUNESSAN - very commonly used, a traditional Gaelic melody (composer unknown) which is also used for the song Morning has Broken.  Thus the tune is in the public domain, even though the words are not.
• A tune by Laura Wasson

The setting was first published in Quinn's 1969 book "New Hymns for all Seasons", and has since been included in many hymnals including

• 20th Century Folk Hymnal volume 2, published in 1975/76 in England
• The Veritas Hymnal, published in 1973 in Ireland

Downloads

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Included in a number of compliations

Examples

Solo singer, piano accompaniment:

Large choir with organ:

Small group with guitar accompaniment:

Instrumental - karaoke style track:

Professional quartet - tune / arrangement by Michael Fischer:

Lyrics

The lyrics are copyright so cannot be reproduced here. But they are currently available on this website. A rough outline is:

1  Christ be beside me, Christ be before me ...

2  Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand ...

3  Christ be in all hearts thinking about me ...

See also

• I Bind myself Today (full translation of St Patrick's Lorica)
• Hymns about St Patrick

KEEP IN CASE ORIGINAL IS REMOVED, BUT DO NOT DISPLAY
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 heart.

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.