"Neither the sky, nor the stars could distance me from you." I am going to frame this and put on my wall at home, because it's something I really believe in. One of my favorite songs in the French hymn book is "Souviens-toi." I sang it many times at the MTC with the French missionaries. This haunting melody, courtesy of Dvorák, is familiar to many as "Goin' Home" in English: part of the New World Symphony, second movement. I wanted to share the words here since it's in my head... and yes I will translate:
Souviens-toi, mon enfant: Tes parents divins?
(Do you remember, my child, your Heavenly Parents?)
Te serraient dans leurs bras, ce temps n'est pas loin.
(You were in their arms, that time is not far gone)
Aujourd'hui, tu es là, présent merveilleux,
(Today you are here, in the marvelous Present)
Ton regard brille encore du reflet des cieux.
(Your countenance still reflects the brilliance of the skies)
Parle-moi, mon enfant de ces lieux bénis,
(Speak to me, my child, of those blessed places)
Car pour toi est léger le voile d'oubli.
(Because for you the veil of memory is thin.)
Souviens-toi, mon enfant, des bois, des cités
(Remember, my child, the woods, the cities)
Pouvons-nous ici bas les imaginer?
(Could we, here below, imagine them?)
Et le ciel jusqu'au soir, est-il rose ou gris?
(And the sky, until night, is it pink or gray?)
Le soleil attend-il la neige ou la pluie?
(Does the sun wait for snow or rain?)
Conte-moi, mon enfant, la couleur des prés
(Tell me, child, about the color of the world)
Et le chant des oiseaux d'un monde oublié.
(And the song of the birds in that forgotten place)
Souviens-toi, mon enfant: A l'aube des temps,
(Do you remember, my child: at the dawn of time,)
Nous étions des amis jouant dans le vent.
(We were friends playing in the wind)
Puis un jour, dans la joie nous avons choisi
(Then one day, we chose with joy)
D'accepter du Seigneur le grand plan de vie.
(To accept from the Savior the great plan of life)
Ce soir-là, mon enfant, nous avons promis
(That night, my child, we promised)
Par l'amour, par la foi, d'être réunis.
(By love, by faith, to meet again.)
5 comments:
Blah blah blah. Whutevah. You're totally opting to marry a Frenchman. With furry palms and all.
Yeah... now we have to watch the gory battle (hopefully) between France and Germany! Unless Italy or Portugal gets there first... but I personally would like to see the old issue of the Rhineland revamped. Sigh, Bismark. Remember that episode of the Simpsons where the German graduates all throw their pointy helmets up in the air... hilarity ensues.
"The Rhineland's a fine land once more..." Too bad the rest of that movie is so ... oh I don't know if I have a pejorative bad enough for it.
Oh and true story, the clouds looked EXACTLY like that in Salt Lake yesterday looking east from South Jordan. So beautiful! And then there was lightning during the fireworks for Taylorsville, so I think all in all they are having a party in Heaven.
THAT'S SO COOL! Seriously these foreign hymnbooks have some awesome gems that English-speaking members of the church never get to hear.
That's my favorite French hymn, too! I lived in France for a year (last year) and I love that hymn!! I wish someone would translate it into English, with the music and everything, and put it into the English hymnbook!!
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