St Patrick’s Breastplate – Faeth Fiada (The Deer’s Cry)
Translation by John Carey

Stanza 1
Today I gird myself with a mighty power,
Invocation of the Trinity.
Belief in the threeness, affirmation of the oneness.
In the Creator’s presence.

Stanza 2
Today I gird myself
With the power of Christ’s birth together with his baptism,
With the power of his crucifixion together with his burial,
With the power of his resurrection together with his ascension,
With the power of his descent to pronounce judgment of Doomsday.

Stanza 3
Today I gird myself
With the power of the order of the Cherubim,
With the Obedience of angels,
With the ministry of archangels.
With the hope of resurrection,
For the sake of reward,
With the prayers of the patriarchs.
With the predictions of the prophets,
With the precepts of the apostles,
With the faith of confessors,
With the innocence of holy virgins,
With the deeds of righteous people.

Stanza 4
Today I gird myself
With the strength of heaven,
Light of the sun.
Brightness of the moon,
Brilliance of fire.
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind.
Depth of sea,
Firmness of earth,
Stability of rock.

Stanza 5
Today I gird myself
With the strength of God to direct me,
The might of God to exalt me,
The mind of God to lead me,
The eye of God to watch over me,
The ear of God to hear me,
The word of God to speak to me,
The hand of God to defend me,
The path of God to go before me,
The shield of God to guard me,
The help of God to protect me
Against the snares of demons,
Against the temptation of vices,
Against the tendencies of nature,
Against everyone who will wish me ill,
Far and near, Among few and among many.

Stanza 6
Today I interpose all these powers between myself
And every harsh pitiless power which may come against my body and my soul,
Against the predictions of false prophets,
Against the black laws of paganism,
Against the crooked laws of heretics,
Against the encirclement of idolatry,
Against the spells of women and smiths and druids,
Against every knowledge which harms a man’s body and soul.
May Christ protect me today
Against poison, against burning, against drowning,
against wounding,
That many rewards may come to me.

Stanza 7
May Christ be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ to my right, Christ to my left, Christ where I lie down, Christ where I sit, Christ where I stand, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me, Christ in every eye which looks on me, Christ in every ear which hears me.

Stanza 8
Today I gird myself
With a mighty power, Invocation of the Trinity,
Belief in the Threeness, Proclamation of the Oneness,
In the Creator’s presence.
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of Christ,
May your salvation Lord, be always with us.