“May the road rise” Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind always be at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields,

and until we meet again, 

may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Irish Blessing     

“May the Road Rise to Meet You” is an Irish blessing that is often used as a prayer.  It has traveled throughout the centuries in songs, word of mouth, and even a popular cross-stitch pattern. The words connect centuries of those who have faithfully hung onto hope through their faith.

“May the road rise to meet you” was written in Gaelic. The phrase is actually mistranslated quite a bit from the original Gaelic language it was written in. “Rise” actually translates more accurately to “succeed.” So the text means,“May you succeed on your road.” 

The author of the blessing isn’t known. Many attribute it to Saint Patrick as it resembles some of his writings.  The Irish like to use images of nature and everyday life in their blessings and prayers. Just as the blessing starts with a prayer for you to succeed on your road in life, it also ends with an image of safety as we are held in the palm of God’s hand.

My printable is sized 10″ x 12″.  You may like it for Saint Patrick’s Day in a few weeks, but the words and their meaning are for everyone in their daily struggles.  I am fond of this printable as I’ve always loved the blessing.  I share it with you and offer it as a prayer for you.

Download

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

If you liked this post, you might like:

Irish Blessing Printable

Get exclusive free printables & all the news straight to your mailbox!

Please see my Link Parties page for the parties where this post was shared.