Where is your mercy? (from Tales of wonder) - Marty Haugen

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 31 January 2006, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

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

1. YOU SCULPT ME, God-EXHALE me-INHALE.
TEACH-me CHERISH HERE LIFE.
WHY ME SOMETIMES SCARED DIE?
NOT HAVE-MERCY-ON-me ME WHY?

2. COMFORT HAVE-NONE, GRIEF SEEM-FOREVER.
WHY NOT ANSWER MY PRAYER?
IF YOU WITH ME, BRING-TO-me RELIEF.
NOT HAVE-MERCY-ON-me ME WHY?

Refrain: God-LOOK-DOWN-AT-me MY HEART GRIEVE,
COMMUNICATE, MY HEART FEEL GONE.
YOU ONLY HOPE ME DEPEND CAN.
YOUR LOVING FACE WHERE?
YOUR GRACE SAVE WHERE?
NOT HAVE-MERCY-ON-me ME WHY?

3. THEY-lf WAKE-UP HUNGRY, HAVE PAIN.
THEY-rt CHILDREN WITNESS VIOLENCE, WAR.
THEY-lf GONE, THEY-STILL HERE.
NOT HAVE-MERCY-ON-us US WHY?

Refrain (A, ignore B):
NOW IDEA~LIKE NIGHT DARK TERRIBLE,
FEEL LOST. WHY? PAIN, FEAR.
GIFT-TO-us LITTLE-BIT LIGHT-SHINE-DOWN FOLLOW;
YOUR LOVING FACE WHERE?
YOUR GRACE SAVE WHERE?
NOT HAVE-MERCY-ON-us US WHY?

4. YOU RAISE-UP US FROM DIRT.
WE GOD HIS CHILDREN
(<) INNOCENT, (>) JUST SUFFER WHY?
NOT HAVE-MERCY-ON-us US WHY?

Refrain: God-LOOK-DOWN-AT-me OUR HEART HEART-BREAK,
COMMUNICATE, OUR HEART MAD.
YOU ONLY HOPE WE CAN DEPEND.
YOUR LOVING FACE WHERE?
YOUR GRACE SAVE WHERE?
NOT HAVE-MERCY-ON-us US WHY?

5. YOU SPIRIT CAUSE US BORN.
GOD TAKE-CARE-OF POOR, OPPRESSED.
God-LOOK-DOWN-ON YOUR PEOPLE, THEY-ctr FEEL LOST.
NOT HAVE-MERCY-ON-us US WHY?

Refrain (D, ignore C):
(<) LOOK-DOWN-ON-us YOUR SON HERE.
(>) LOOK-DOWN-ON-us YOUR DAUGHTER HERE.
WE YOUR CHILDREN YOURSELF MAKE.
WE REALLY-WANT SEE YOUR FACE.
PLEASE ANSWER.
NOT HAVE-MERCY-ON-us US WHY?

Coda: NOT HAVE-MERCY-ON-us US WHY?


Notes: SCULPT - [A dot] moves down palm like ART.

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

God-EXHALE - Head is tilted down to show this is from God and (2h)[O^] thumbs are held at nostrils and the fingers spread out to (2h)[5] while descending.

me-INHALE - Head is tilted upwards to show this is being received from God and (2h)[5], POs away, FOs up, are held held high and brought to nostrils while closing to (2h)[O^].

HAVE-MERCY-ON-me (or "us") - (2h)[open 8], POs > signer, hands move in vertical circles normal (perpendicular) to the chest. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Mercy - 2.

COMFORT - Like COMFORTABLE but slower.

HAVE-NONE - (2h)[B], POs > signer move upwards past mouth and swing upwards and apart while mouth blows on hands as they pass.

SEEM-FOREVER - The thumb of [Y], PO away, FO up, is held against temple, then moves away in an outward arc.

RELIEF - Same as RELIEVED.

God-LOOK-DOWN-AT-me/us - Gaze to God with (2h)[V], POs > signer, FOs up, and nod hands down so that FTs look at signer.

LOVING - LOVE++.

GRACE - [O^] or [S], held high and PO > Heaven, supinates and opens to [5] while being brought towards head. For an animated gif of this sign, see Animated dictionary of religious signs - Deaf Missions: Grace.

WITNESS - [1] touches under eye while head moves down.

VIOLENCE - DESTROY.

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

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

GIFT-TO-us - (2h)[X], POs ><, FOs up, hands tip back towards signer to show that something is given as a gift.

LIGHT-SHINE-DOWN - [O^] is held high PO > signer; hands open to [5^] while moving > signer.

RAISE-UP - (2h)[B], POs down, FOs away, lower slightly, supinate, and rise up.

DIRT - DIRTY + (2h)[bO], POs up, FOs away, are held in together in place while thumbs rub against FTs.

JUST - (2h)[B^], POs ><, FOs up, tap FT while moving in a horizontal circle.

HEART-BREAK (poetic sign) - (2h)[modified C] where the knuckles of each hand contact each other as well as the thumbs creating a valentine heart and then the hands break away, changing the POs to upwards for a more violent break.

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.

OPPRESSED - DH [B], PO down, FO > NDS, pushs down on [S], PO > DS, FO away, which is held against chest.

REALLY-WANT - WANT but shaken back and forth to show intensity.

Lyrics:

1. You who have formed me and given me breath,
Taught me to treasure this life;
Why must I wander the shadow of death:
Where is your mercy now?

2. Is there no comfort, no end to my grief,
no one to answer my cries?
If you are present, come be my relief:
Where is your mercy now?

Refrain: Look to my aching heart,
Speak to my empty heart
You are the only hope I cling to;
Where is your loving face,
Where is your saving grace,
Where is your mercy now?

3. All those who waken to hunger and pain,
Children of violence and war,
Those who are taken and those who remain:
Where is your justice now?

Refrain (A & B are sung simultaneously):
A. Now in darkest night,
Lost in our pain and fright
Grant us some tiny light to follow;
Where is your loving face,
where is your saving grace,
Where is your mercy now?

B. Now in darkest night,
alone and frightened,
give us a light to follow,
where, where is your face,
O answer,
Where is your mercy now?

4. We are the creatures you raised from the dust,
We are the children of God,
Why do they suffer, the blameless and just:
Where is your justice now?

Refrain Look to our broken hearts,
Speak to our angry hearts,
You are the only hope we cling to;
Where is your loving face,
Where is your saving grace,
Where is your mercy now?

5. You are the Spirit that brings us to birth,
God of the broken and poor,
Look to your people, the lost of the earth:
Where is your mercy now?

Refrain (C & D are sung simultaneously):
C. Look to our broken hearts,
Speak to our angry hearts,
You are the only hope we cling to;
Where is your loving face,
Where is your saving grace,
Where is your mercy now?

D. See, behold your sons,
Behold your daughters,
Behold the children you have made
Where is your face,
O answer,
Where is your mercy now?

Coda: Where is your mercy now?

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