There´s a Stirring

Sorry I´ve been blog-absent lately. I´ve been busy, and last week when I tried to write a very big blog, the internet ate it. I was not amused. But consider it a hidden blessing, because it was kind of long-winded and a little too detailed to be interesting. I´m trying not to make this a day by day account of my time here, so I am going to try to write on different interesting (I think, at least) topics I encounter here.

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Despite the vows I made after my campaign in 2004, I am in a choir again. The main difference is that this time it seems that most of the people actually don´t want to throw their songbooks at the director or each other, which is nice. Anyhoo, so I´m in this choir. And it´s lots and lots of fun. Our first performance is going to be at the inaguration of a new church plant the Itu church is supporting in the neighboring town of Salto. I´ll write more about this after it happens, because I think it´s so exciting and wonderful, but this really isn´t the subject of this blog.

In case you don´t know, a popular method of procuring religious hymns and praise songs throughout the world is translations from the English versions, much like we English speakers derived many of our older hymns from Latin, German, or Italian. Sometimes the translations go well and sometimes they´re awkward.

My friend who is the choir director had written me a few months ago and mentioned that they were learning the Portuguese version of "There´s a Stirring." I think everyone who knows the song would agree that it´s musically beautiful, but I have always found the words kind of... weird. So I wondered how the Portuguese version would turn out.

Well to my pleasant surprise, it is WONDERFUL! Much better than the English version, (click to see the lyrics) in my opinion. So I present to you the Portuguese version with my translation into English. Please forgive any bad translation for those of you who know-- my translation is awkward and doesn´t do justice to the beauty of the language. I´d love to give credit to the translator, but I don´t know who did it.

Uma voz vem sussurando no profundo do meu ser
A voice comes whispering in the depth of my being
Insistente está chamando, é preciso responder
This calling is insistant, and I need to respond
Deus agita minha alma, tenho que obedecer.
God stirs my soul, I have to obey
Manda, "Venha mim."
It says, "Come to me."
"Vou, Senhor, vou sim!"
"I´m coming Lord, I´m coming!"

Eu me prostro, me prostro
I bow down, bow down
Quero me dedicar a Te glorificar
I want to dedicate myself to glorify you
Vou sempre Te servir e honrar.
I´m always going to serve and honor You.
Uma voz vem sussurando.
A voice comes whispering

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Big thanks to Dan Lovejoy for fixing my silly false quasi-cognate. :)