God be in my head

General information

The medieval French original from the frontispiece of a Book of Hours (1514). The English translation from the Sarum Primer of 1558, and then in John Cosin’s A Collection of Private Devotions.

Notes on selected settings

• Crys Armbrust 2 equal parts, or mixed choir.

Settings by composers (automatically updated)

• Crys Armbrust — God be in my head  English SS
• Douglas Brooks-Davies — God, be in my head (2 parts)  English SA
• Douglas Brooks-Davies — God, be in my head  English SATB
• Henry Walford Davies — God be in my head  English SATB
• Harrison Hackett — God be in my head  English SATB
• Christopher Hampson — God be in my head  English SATB
• Roger Lawrence — God be in my head  English SATB
• Denis Mason — God be in my head  English SAT
• Jason Smart — God be in my head  English SATB
• Christopher Upton — God be in my head (1)  English SATB
• Christopher Upton — God be in my head (2)  English SATB

Texts and translations

French text Jesus soit en ma teste et mon entendement. Jesus soit en mes yeulx et mon regardement. Jesus soit en ma bouche et mon parlement. Jesus soit en mon cueur et en mon pensement. Jesus soit en ma vie et mon trespassement.

English translation God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking; God be in my heart, and in my thinking; God be at mine end, and at my departing.

First part (1 John 5:20 KJV), only in the Brooks-Davies SATB version English text And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ.