Sunday 3 January 2016

Keeping the Divine in Mercy

The devotion to the Divine Mercy began in Poland, and as far as World Youth Day in Krakow is concerned, it would seem that the Year of Mercy is the Year of Divine Mercy.


The official hymn of  World Youth Day 2016 is called "Blessed are the Merciful".

The text & a rough translation:

1. Wznoszę swe oczy ku górom, skąd
Przyjdzie mi pomoc;
Pomoc od Pana, wszak Bogiem On
Miłosiernym jest!

I raise my eyes unto the hills, whence
cometh my help;
help from the Lord; after all He 
is a Merciful God!

2. Kiedy zbłądzimy, sam szuka nas,
By w swe ramiona wziąć,
Rany uleczyć Krwią swoich ran,
Nowe życie tchnąć!

R: Błogosławieni miłosierni,
albowiem oni miłosierdzia dostąpią!

When we stray, He looks for us, 
so as to take us in His arms,
to heal our wounds with the Blood of His wounds,
to breathe new life!

R: Blessed are the merciful
for they shall obtain mercy!

3. Gdyby nam Pan nie odpuścił win,
Któż ostać by się mógł?
Lecz On przebacza, przeto i my
Czyńmy jak nasz Bóg!

If the Lord did not forgive faults
who could stand?
But He forgives,and  therefore let's
forgive like our God!

4. Pan Syna Krwią zmazał wszelki dług,
Syn z grobu żywy wstał;
„Panem jest Jezus” – mówi w nas Duch.
Niech to widzi świat!

With the Son's Blood the Lord has wiped out every debt,
the Son arose living from the grave.
"Jesus is Lord" says the Spirit within us.
May the world see it!

[BRIDGE]

Więc odrzuć lęk i wiernym bądź,
Swe troski w Panu złóż
I ufaj, bo zmartwychwstał i wciąż
Żyje Pan, Twój Bóg!

And so throw away fear and be faithful,
place your concern in the Lord 
and trust [in Him] because He is risen and still
the Lord lives, your God!

R: Błogosławieni miłosierni,
albowiem oni miłosierdzia dostąpią!

R: Blessed are the merciful
for they shall obtain mercy!

Update: The Official English version--which has a somewhat different musical presentation--follows the Official Polish one in the film. 

3 comments:

  1. Romantic Hellenist5 January 2016 at 22:00

    Me, before grumpily clicking on the video:

    "A WYD hymn for 2016? Great, look at all these cheerful young people, it's probably just gonna be some kind of syrupy treacle or bad Christian Rock."

    ...20 viewings / listenings in a row later:

    "Wow, I was SO wrong!" This is fabulous, Seraphic; thanks so much for sharing and for the translation! Certainly a new favorite of mine. I have enjoyed traipsing about Youtube for various other language versions as well: the couple of English ones are pretty good, though I think it's hard to get English to fit the melody in parts. I can recommend the Italian one, which takes second place for me.

    Which makes me think: I haven't found a Latin version yet. Maybe something that still needs to be done? Anyone? ;)

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  2. Ha! I don't think my Latin skills are up to the task, but I do hope some good-humoured Latinist attempts it. How funny and heartwarming it would be if pilgrims from different countries all sang the Latin together.

    Yes, I do love this Polish hymn--and the video, which is ALL about Our Lord and not at all about celebrity priests. The video has motherhood (young mother with baby) and fatherhood (priest hearing confession) beautifully balanced.

    I recommend that, if humanly possible, visitors to Poland learn the Polish version; it will make their hosts so happy that foreigners made the effort to learn that much of their beloved, but admittedly difficult, language.

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    Replies
    1. Goodness! Guard dropped! Lapsed into first person! :-O

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