May nothing evil cross this door - Louis Untermeyer

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 20 June 2004, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

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

WE PRAY NOTHING BAD ENTER OUR DOOR.
WE PRAY BAD #LUCK NOT SNEAK-IN OUR WINDOW.
(<) THUNDER, (>) LIGHTNING, SHOO-AWAY.

OUR HOUSE STRUCTURE STRONG MEAN
STORM CRASH-AGAINST-SIDE NOTHING-TO-IT.
OUTSIDE MAYBE COLD* CHILLING,
BUT OUR FIRE PLACE HOLD-HANDS-TO-FIRE INSPIRED WARM.

PEACE MULTIPLE-INTERACT SOFT HERE ROOM++.
OUR MOUTH TASTE THAT HOLY WINE.
EVERYDAY THINGS WE OWN HIT*
BECOME HOLY THEMSELVES.

WE HOPE LAUGHTER REPLACE YELLING.
WE KNOW-THAT OUR WALL SEEM THIN,
BUT STILL WE PRAY H-A-T-E STAY OUTSIDE
AND L-O-V-E STAY INSIDE. AMEN.


Notes: SNEAK-IN - [1], PO down, FO away, moves in a zig-zag pattern, passing under [B], PO down, FO away.

SHOO-AWAY - (2h)[B], PO down, FO away, hands move foward while bending at wrist and rising as if shooing something away.

CRASH-AGAINST-SIDE - DH [5wg] approaches NDH [B], PO > DS, FO up, and runs up the side of NDH.

NOTHING-TO-IT - (2h)[F], POs away, FOs up, sway symmetrically from side to side.

CHILLING - (2h)[B] fan face with NMS of pursed lips.

HOLD-HANDS-TO-FIRE - Mime how one holds one hands in front of a fire to warm them. It is interesting to note that this is the sign for "fire" in British Sign Language.

MULTIPLE-INTERACT - (2h)[5] revolve around one another with the DH held higher and revolving from above and NDH revolving from below.

Lyrics:

May nothing evil cross this door,
And may ill-fortune never pry
About these windows; may the roar
And rains go by.

Strengthened by faith, the rafters will
Withstand the battering of the storm.
This hearth, though all the world go chill
Will keep you warm.

Peace shall walk softly through these rooms,
Touching your lips with holy wine,
Til every casual corner blooms
Into a shrine.

Laughter shall drown the raucous shout
And, though the sheltering walls are thin,
May they be strong to keep hate out
And hold love in.

treble clef as a symbol for musicTo hear a performance of this song, go to Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua recordings: May nothing evil cross this door.

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