Unique Word Count: 75
Music composed by: Traditional
Words written by: Tadhg Gaelach O’Suilleabháin
Lyrics:
Gile mo chroí do chroíse, a Shlánaitheoir,
Is ciste mo chroí do chroíse a d’fháil i m’ chomhair
Ós follas gur líon do chroí dom’ ghrása, a stóir,
I gcochall mo chroí do chroíse fág i gcomhad.
Ar fhuilingís trínne, a Rí ghil ard na gcumhacht,
Ní thuigim im’ smaointe a ríomh ná a thrácht i gcóir,
Is gur le goradhghoin nimhe do chroí is do chneása, a stóir,
Do bhrostaigh na mílte saoi go sámh i gcoróin.
Nuair a chasfadsa arís le do ghuí-se a Bhláth na nOrd
Fé thearmann Chríost is díon a ghrásta ‘im chomhad
Beidh garbhchnoic fhraoigh na líog do chrádh mé romham
In a machairí míne síoda is ina mbánta sróil.
Translation:
The light of my heart your heart, O Saviour,
And the treasure of my heart your heart to have in my presence
Since it is clear that your heart filled with my love,
O beloved, In the hollow of my heart your heart leave in store.
About what you suffered through us,
O bright high King of power,
My mind is unable to measure or to describe right,
And it was through fierce poisonous pain of your heart and of your wounds, my beloved,
That thousands of the wise hurried in peace to their crown.
When I turn again by your prayer, O Flower of the Orders,
Under the protection of Christ and with the shelter of his grace to keep me
The harsh heathery hills that used to torment me on my way
Will be like smooth silken plains and like meadows of satin.
Notes: According to https://suburbanbanshee.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/irish-trad-status-gile-mo-chroi-do-chroisa-aka-gile-mo-chroidhe-do-chroide-se-a-shlanuightheoir/ The tune of this hymn, and the pairing of the words to this tune, have been credited falsely to Seán Ó Riada, simply because they appear in his seminal book of Mass arrangements in the Irish vernacular, Ceol an Aifreann. He didn’t compose the tune or matchmake for it. Neither were they first put together in the Dánta Dá hymnal. The tune, words, and pairing are truly traditional and well into the public domain; and unless you are paying for a specific arrangement, you shouldn’t be paying good money for them.”
The singer Angela Ó Floinn uses this text to create an additional two verses in her version of ‘Dia Do Bheatha’.