Faeth Fiada: The Lorica of St Patrick or the Deer's Cry

A potent prayer of protection against the evils of the world. My favourite line is 'Against the spells of women, smiths, and druids, ...'.

St Patrick’s Hymn in Ancient Irish

[The principal variants of the Bodleian MS. followed by Dr. Whitley Stokes in the Tripartite Life are given in the brackets.]

Atomriug indiu niurt trén, togairm Trínóit
Cretim treodataid foisin [fóisitin Bodl. MS.] óendatad in Dúlemain Dail
Atomriug indiu niurt gene Crist conabathius
⁠niurt [a Bodl. MS.] crochta conaadnocul
⁠niurt n‑eseirge co fresgabail
⁠niurt toniud do brethemnas bratha

Atomriug indiu niurt grad hiruphín in urlattaid aingel
⁠[i frestal nanarchaigul Bodl. MS.]
⁠hi frescisin eseirge ar cen fochraice
⁠in ernaigthib huasal athrach

⁠i taircetlaib fatha
⁠hi praiceptaib apstal
⁠in hiresaib fuismedach
⁠in endga noem ingen
⁠hi ngnimab fer firean

Atomriug indiu niurt nime
⁠soilse gr[ei]ne
⁠etrochta snechtai [ései Bodleian MS.]
⁠ane thened
⁠déne lóchet
⁠luathe gaethe
⁠fudomna mara
⁠tairisem talmain
⁠cobsaidecht ailech

Atomriug indiu niurt dé dom luamaracht
⁠cumachta dé dom chumgabail
⁠ciall dé domm imchus
⁠rose dé dom reimcise [imcaisin Bodl. MS.]
⁠cluas dé dom estecht
⁠briathar dé dom erlabrai
⁠lam dé domm imdegail
⁠intech dé dom ditin
⁠sochraite dé domm anucul
⁠ar intedaib demna
⁠ar aslaigthib dualchet
⁠ar irnechtaib [Bodl. MS. foirmdechaib] aicnid
⁠ar cech nduine midús thrastur dam
⁠i cein ocus inocus inuathed ocus hi sochaide

Tocuirius etrum thra na [Bodl. MS. indiu inna] huile nertso [Bodl. MS. neurtasa]
⁠fri cech nert namnas netrocar fristi dom churp ocus domm anmain
⁠fri tinchetla [Bodl. MS. taircetlaib] saibḟathe
⁠fri dubseċtu gentliuchta
⁠fri saibrechtu heretecda
⁠fri himcellachht nidlaċta
⁠fri brichta ban ocus goband ocus druad
⁠fri cech fiss ara chuiliu [Bold. MS. adds corp ocus] anman duini
Crist domm imdegail indíu ar neim
⁠ar loscud & ar badud ar guin
⁠comchair [Bodl. MS. conimraib] ilar focraice
Crist lim, Crist rium [Bodl. MS. remam], Crist im degaid,
Crist inmum, Crist issum, Crist uasum

Crist dessum, Crist tuathum,

Crist illius, Crist isius [Bodl. MS. ipsius], Crist inerus,
⁠Crist i cridiu cech duine imim imrorda [Bodl. MS. rodomscrutadar],
⁠Crist ingin cech oen [Bodl. MS. duine] ro dom labrathar,
⁠Crist in cech ruse [Bodl. MS. iruscc cech] nom dercaedar [Bodl. MS. duine rodomdecadar],
⁠Crist in cech cluais rodam chloathar
Atomriug indiu niurt trén, togairm Trinoit
Cretim treodataid foisitin oendatad in Dulemain dail [The Dubl. MS. has here only the initials f. o. ī. d.]
Domim est salus, Domim est salus, Christi est salus,
Salus tua Domine semper nobiscum

Translation of St Patrick's Hymn into the Modern Irish

Nasgaim me féin, a n-diu, le neart tréan, guiḋe na Tríonóide.
Creidim a d-trí pearsanna le h-adṁáil aondaċta Chruiṫuiġṫeóra an ḃreiṫeaṁnuis.
Nasgaim me féin a n-diu le neart gine Chríosd agus le na ḃaisde,
 le neart a ċroċda agus a aḋluicṫe,
 le neart a eiséirġe agus a ḋeasġaḃála
 le neart a ṫeaċda ċum breiṫeaṁnuis lae an ḃráṫa.
Nasgaim me féin a n-diu le neart gráḋa Sheraṗín,
⁠a n-uṁluiġeaċd aingeal,
⁠a ḃ-freasdal na n-árdaingeal,

⁠a n-dóṫċas na h-eiséirġe mar luaċraoṫair,
⁠a n-urnuiġṫiḃ na n-Aṫraċ n-uasal,
⁠a d-tairrġireaċd na ḃ-fuirmideaċ,
⁠a seanmóntaiḃ na n-Easbal,
⁠a g-creideaṁ na ḃ-fuismideaċ,
⁠a n-glaine na m-bannaoṁ,
⁠a n-gníoṁaiḃ na ḃ-fíréan.
Nasgaim me féin a n-diu le neart Nenṅe,
⁠solus gréine,
⁠gille na geallaiġe,
⁠aoiḃneas teineaḋ,
⁠déine tinnteaċ,
⁠luaiṫe gaoiṫe,
⁠doiṁneaċd mara,
⁠seasṁaċd talṁan,
⁠dainigne na gacairgeaċ.
Nasgaim me féin a n-diu le neart Dé do'm stiúruġaḋ,
⁠cúṁaċd Dé do'm ċongḃáil suas,
⁠ciall Dé do'm ṫreóruġaḋ,
⁠súil Dé do'm ḟaire,

⁠cluas Dé do'm éisdeaċd,
⁠briáṫar Dé le laḃairt ar mo ṡon,
⁠láṁ Dé do'm ċosnaṁ,
⁠slíġe Dé roṁam,,
⁠sciaṫ Dé do'm ḋídean,
⁠sluaġ Dé do'm anacul,
⁠ar ḋoluiḃ deaṁon,
⁠ar ṁealltóireaċd ḋuḃáilceaḋ,
⁠ar ḟormadaiḃ aigne,

⁠ar gaċ n-duine iarras mo ḋíoġḃáil,
⁠a g-cein nó a n-gar dom,

⁠a n-aonar nó le sluaġ.

Cuirim a n-diu na nearta so uile
⁠idir me-féin agus gaċ neart naiṁdeaṁuil ead-trócaireaċ ṫiocfaḋ a n-aġaiḋ mo ċuirp nó m'anama:
⁠a n-aġaiḋ ṫairrġireaċd ḟaiḋeaḋ fallsa,
⁠a n-aġaiḋ duḃreaċda págánaċ,
⁠a n-aġaiḋ saoḃ-reaċda eiriceaċ,
⁠a n-aġaiḋ timceallaċd ioḋalaḋrioḋ,
⁠a n-aġaiḋ piseóga ban, agus gaiḃneaḋ agus druaḋ,
⁠a n-aġaiḋ gaċ feasa do ṫruaillfeaḋ corp agus anam an duine.
Críosd do'm ċosnaṁ a n-diu ar gaċ gné nieṁe,
⁠ar losgaḋ, ar ḃaṫaḋ, ar ġuin,
⁠nó go ḃ-faġainn iomad luarḋeaċdaḋ.
Críosd liom, Críosd róṁam, Críosd am ḋiaiġ,
⁠Críosd ionnam, Críosd fúm, Críosd os mo ċionn,
⁠Críosd ar mo ḋeis, Críosd ar mo láiṁċlé,
⁠Críosd a leiṫead, Críosd a ḃ-daide, Críosd a n-aoirde,
⁠Críosd a g-croiḋe gaċ n-duine smuaineas orm,

⁠Críosd a m-béad gaċ n-duine laḃras liom,
⁠Críosd a súil gaċ n-duine ḟéaċas orm,

⁠Críosd a g-cluais gaċ n-aon ċloisfeas me.
Nasgaim me féin a n-diu le neart tréan, guiḋe na Tríonóide.
Creidim a d-trí pearsanna, le h-adṁáil aondaċda Cruiṫuiġṫeóra an ḃreiṫeaṁnuis.
⁠Domini est sálus, Domini est sálus, Cristi est salus.
⁠Salus tua Dómine sit semper nobiscum. Amen.

A Direct Translation Into English

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop,
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.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

A Metrical Translation Into English

I bind as armour on my breast

⁠The Threefold Name whereon I call,
Of Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
⁠The Maker and the Judge of all.

I bind as armour on my breast
The power in flesh made manifest
Of Him, the Son, from Heaven who came,
⁠His baptism in the Jordan's wave,
His cross of pain and bitter shame,
⁠His burial, and His opened grave;
And God's eternal power, whereby
He rose, ascended up on high,
⁠And will return to judge and save.

In hope a heavenly crown to win,
⁠I bind as armour on my breast
The obedience and the love wherein
⁠Angels and seraphs are possessed,
With faithful prayer and worthy deed
⁠Of all the saints in history's roll,
Who kept unstained their holy creed
⁠And virgin purity of soul.

As armour on my breast I bind
⁠The powers of God in heaven and earth;
The fleetness of the rushing wind,
⁠The brightness of the morning's birth;
The splendour of the fiery glow,
The whiteness of the winter snow,
⁠The lightning's wildly flashing mirth;
The strength that girds the rocky steep,
The vastness of the unfathomed deep.

I bind as armour on my breast
⁠The Wisdom which shall be my guide;
The Shield whose shelter bids me rest
⁠In peace, whatever ills betide;
The Eye of God, to search my thought;
⁠His Ear, my prayer of faith to hear;
His Word, to make my words be fraught
⁠With courage which His foes shall fear;
His angel host, to guard my path
Against all human guile and wrath,
Against the tempter's lures to sin.
Against the lusts that strive within.

All these upon my breast I bind
⁠Against my foes in earth and hell;
⁠Against the sorcerer's chanted spell,
And sway of idols o'er the mind;
Falsehoods of heresy, and powers
That rule the heathen in the hours
⁠Of darkness; women's evil wiles;
⁠And all the knowledge that defiles.

Guard me and shield me, Christ, my Lord!
⁠Guard me against my foe's desire;
⁠Guard me in dangers of the fire,
⁠Guard me in dangers of the sea;
⁠Guard me, O Lord, in serving Thee,
And make me share the great reward.

Christ be within me and around;
⁠Christ on my left hand and my right;
May Christ in all my thoughts be found,
⁠Christ in all breadth, and depth, and height!

May Christ be in their eyes that see
⁠Thy servant, and their ears that hear;
Christ in his thoughts who thinks on me,
⁠Christ on his lips who draweth near.

I bind as armour on my breast
⁠The Threefold Name whereon I call,
Of Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
⁠The Maker and the Judge of all.

Salvation is of Thee, the Incarnate Word;
Now and for ever save us, Christ our Lord!