Come, ye faithful, raise the strain - John of Damascus,
John M. Neale (trans.), Arthur S. Sullivan

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 18 March 2008, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

EXPLANATION OF THE GLOSSING SYSTEM
(to understand how I describe the signs in this translation).

1. COME-ON (2h)YOU HAVE FAITH. YOUR(plural) HAPPY VOICE UP-UP-UP.
GOD CAUSE JEWISH PEOPLE SAD+ BECOME JUMP-FOR-JOY.
BITTER BURDEN FROM PHARAOH, JACOB SON AND DAUGHTER TAKE-OFF-SHOULDER.
GOD DIVIDE RED SEA, LEAD HIS-rt PEOPLE THROUGH DRY LAND.

2. TODAY SPRING START FOR SOUL, CHRIST BURST HIS-lf PRISON.
AFTER THREE-DAY DEAD SLEEP, BECOME OUR SUNRISE BRIGHT.
WE SUFFER SIN, IDEA-LIKE LONG DARK WINTER, BUT NOW THAT MELT.
WE PRAISE AND CELEBRATE HIS-lf LIGHT, ALWAYS THERE-lf.

3. SPRING OUR QUEEN OF SEASONS, BRIGHT WITH SUNSHINE FLOWING.
WITH THE-lf KING HIS FEAST SUPREME, JUMP-FOR-JOY ARRIVE FOR US.
COME-ON VISIT JERUSALEM, ITSELF-ctr TRUE-BIZ LOVING
alt.WELCOME EVERY ONE WITNESS JESUS HIS-lf RESURRECTION.

4. PEOPLE NOT-NEED FEAR DEATH ITS-lf GATE, GRAVE DARK DOOR,
THOSE-rt WATCH-ctr"over time", OR SEAL GRAB-HOLD (2h)YOU.
INSTEAD (2h)YOU STAND WITH DISCIPLES TWELVE.
HELP PEACE SPREAD FROM-NOW-ON BEYOND WHAT PEOPLE OFFER.

5. ALLELUIA! NOW WE SHOUT TO OUR KING ETERNAL.
HIMSELF-lf WIN. GRAVE, HE-lf BURST HIS-lf PRISON BARS.
ALLELUIA! TO THE-lf SON. PRAISE GOD, OUR HEAVENLY-FATHER.
ALLELUIA! WE LIFT-UP, OFFER-TO HOLY SPIRIT.


Notes: COME-ON - (2h)[B^] move in circles pivoting at the wrists to beckon someone to do something.

(2h)YOU - Underlined words are honorific indices ("indexes"), using the FT of the upturned palm to indicate who is being honored.

FAITH - Like THINK TRUST but with elevated hands and eyes to show the trust is spiritual. For an animated gif of this sign, see Animated dictionary of religious signs - Deaf Missions: Faith.

UP-UP-UP - (2h)[B], POs up, FOs away, nod upwards while rising as if bouncing balls on the palms.

CAUSE - (2h)[S] are held at the chest as if holding a rope and move forward while opening to (2h)[5]. For a QuickTime movie of this sign, see ASL browser - cause.

JUMP-FOR-JOY - Start with the sign STAND and repeatedly and rapidly raise and lower the DH while curling the FT to show a person jumping.

BURDEN - (2h)[C], POs ><, FOs up, are placed on DS shoulder and press it down so that the body tips > DS.

PHARAOH - EGYPT KING.

JACOB - Could be fingerspelled or signed as a [J] across the chin.

TAKE-OFF-SHOULDER - (2h)[C] mime taking a burden off the shoulder.

BURST - BREAD SPREAD.

SIN - (2h)[X] touch their respective sides of the mouth, descend to neutral space and circle antisymmetrically parallel to the chest. For an animated gif of this sign, see Animated dictionary of religious signs - Deaf Missions: Sin.

IDEA-LIKE - A blending where IDEA has a [Y] instead of an [I] in anticipation of LIKE which is signed smoothly right afterwards.

LIGHT - (2h)[O^], POs away, FOs up, open to (2h)[5], while separating. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Light - 1.

SEASONS - [T], PO > NDS, FO up, travels in a vertical plane parallel to the NDH and makes contact with NDH [B], PO > DS, FO away. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Period - Time.

FLOWING - (2h)[4], DHPO up, NDHPO down, FOs away, both hands repeatedly move from sun diagonaly down to the ground.

FEAST - (2h)alt.EAT. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Feast.

SUPREME - (2h)[A], FOs away, DH starts below NDH and arcs around it until it is on top.

COME-ON - (2h)[B^] move in circles pivoting at the wrists to beckon someone to do something.

JERUSALEM - [B with thumbs flush with other fingers but not folded into palm], touches mouth and then pronates.

TRUE-BIZ - TRUE + (2h)[S], POs down, FOs away, DH brushes from side to side across NDH wrist.

LOVING - LOVE+.

RESURRECT/ION - [V], PO up, FO away, pronates and hops onto the palm of [B], PO up, FO away. For an animated gif of this sign, see Valley Bible Church - ASL dictionary: Resurrection.

FEAR - (2h)[5], POs away, FOs up, hands are held far from body and move back to body in a wavy pattern.

SEAL - Stamp uptunred NDH palm with [S], PO > NDS, FO away.

GRAB-HOLD - (2h)[5:], POs down, FOs away, descend and close to (2h)[S] as if grabbing hold of something.

INSTEAD - REPLACE.

DISCIPLES - D-FOLLOWERS.

BEYOND - (2h)[B^], touch FTs, then DH moves up in an arc towards the signer and away. For a QuickTime movie of this sign, see ASL browser - more than.

ALLELUIA! - CLAP-HANDS~CELEBRATE + open hands into (2h)[5] while lifting.

ETERNAL - ALWAYS + DH produces STILL in the usual way, and the NDH produces STILL so that it moves back over the shoulder. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Eternal.

BARS - (2h)[F], POs ><, FOs away, indicate bars.

HEAVENLY-FATHER - (2h)[A], FOs up, DH is held against forehead, NDH close to but lower, both hands open to (2h)[5] while moving upwards. HEAVEN may be added to this. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Heavenly Father - 1.

LIFT-UP - (2h)[B], PO down are held high and swoop down while supinating and then rise up again as if helping something mature and the hands continue up and FTs are directed > Heaven.

HOLY - H-CLEAN. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Holy - 1.

Lyrics:

1. Come, ye faithful, raise the strain of triumphant gladness;
God hath brought forth Israel into joy from sadness;
Loosed from Pharaoh’s bitter yoke Jacob’s sons and daughters,
Led them with unmoistened foot through the Red Sea waters.

2. ’Tis the spring of souls today; Christ has burst His prison,
And from three days’ sleep in death as a sun hath risen;
All the winter of our sins, long and dark, is flying
From His light, to Whom we give laud and praise undying.

3. Now the queen of seasons, bright with the day of splendor,
With the royal feast of feasts, comes its joy to render;
Comes to glad Jerusalem, who with true affection
Welcomes in unwearied strains Jesus’ resurrection.

4. Neither might the gates of death, nor the tomb’s dark portal,
Nor the watchers, nor the seal hold Thee as a mortal;
But today amidst the twelve Thou didst stand, bestowing
That Thy peace which evermore passeth human knowing.

5. “Alleluia!” now we cry to our King immortal,
Who, triumphant, burst the bars of the tomb’s dark portal;
“Alleluia!” with the Son, God the Father praising,
“Alleluia!” yet again to the Spirit raising.

treble clef as a symbol for musicTo hear the music (without words), go to Come, ye faithful, raise the strain.

Home