He comes to us as one unknown - Timothy Dudley-Smith

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 16 April 2005, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

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

1. HE-lf COME-TO US LIKE STRANGER MEET*, LIKE BREATHE-OUT, GO-UP-LIKE-SMOKE DISSOLVE. LIKE LAST~NIGHT PLANT-SEEDS, TOMORROW~MORNING HIT* GROW. ||: WE SLOW REALIZE GOD (2h)THERE, OH-I-SEE. :||

2. WHILE PEOPLE LIE-DOWN QUIET, WORK GET-OFF-MIND, HE-lf COME. BUT WE VISUALIZE HIM-lf VAGUE. OUR HEART IDEA~LIKE DARK SKY. ||: HE-lf COME-TO-us LIKE STAR F-CL'falling star'. :||

3. HAPPEN WATER CRASH-AGAINST-ROCKS"slow"+, WE SEE HIM-lf STRONG. WHEN WIND CAUSE FOREST (2h)5-CL'sway', WE SEE HIM-lf SOFT. ||: NATURE SHOW HE-lf SUMMON-us HOME. :||

4. LONG-AGO HE-lf COME-TO-us, BORN LIKE US, BRING LOVE SPREAD. (<) LIFE, (>) DEATH, HE-lf ACCEPT BOTH. FOR-FOR? ||: SAVE EVERYONE BORN HERE EARTH. :||

5. HAPPEN FAITH GROW, HE-lf COME-TO-us BRING-TO-us TRUTH. COME-ON BELIEVE, ADORE HIM-lf. HOLY BOOK SHOW"all" JESUS GLORY. WE SEE, NOT-YET, BUT KNOW HIM-lf. ||: (<) OUR SAVIOR, (>) OUR LORD. :||


Notes: BREATHE-OUT - (2h)[O^] thumbs are held at nostrils and the fingers spread out to (2h)[5].

GO-UP-LIKE-SMOKE - (2h)[5] swirl around each other while ascending.

PLANT-SEEDS - [O^], PO down, changes to [A dot] in the direction that seeds are being sown.

GET-OFF-MIND - (2h)[open 8], touch forehead, pronate and move away.

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

The signs between "||:" and ":||" are to be repeated.

CRASH-AGAINST-ROCKS"slow"+ - DH [5wg], PO down, moves > NDH [B], PO down, FO away, crashes on it and moves upwards as if a wave, then returns to its place.

(2h)5-CL'sway' - (2h)[5] held like trees that are swaying together in the breeze.

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

ADORE - NDH is clasped over DH [S] and hands circle perpendicular to the chest. For an animated gif of this sign, see Animated dictionary of religious signs - Deaf Missions: Worship.

GLORY - (2h)[5], POs><, FOs away from signer, DH which is on top wiggles fingers while ascending. For an animated gif of this sign, see Animated dictionary of religious signs - Deaf Missions: Glory.

Lyrics:

1. He comes to us as one unknown,
a breath unseen, unheard;
as though within a heart of stone,
or shriveled seed in darkness sown,
a pulse of being stirred,
a pulse of being stirred.

2. He comes when souls in silence lie
and thoughts of day depart,
half-seen upon the inward eye,
a falling star across the sky
of night within the heart,
of night within the heart.

3. He comes to us in sound of seas,
the ocean's fume and foam;
yet small and still upon the breeze,
a wind that stirs the tops of trees,
a voice to call us home,
a voice to call us home.

4. He comes in love as once he came
by flesh and blood and birth;
to bear within our mortal frame
a life, a death, a saving name
for every child of earth,
for every child of earth.

5. He comes in truth when faith is grown;
believed, obeyed, adored:
the Christ in all the scriptures shown,
as yet unseen, but not unknown,
our Savior, and our Lord,
our Savior, and our Lord.

treble clef as a symbol for musicTo hear the music (without words), go to "With one voice" online Lutheran hymnal. Use the Find feature or the hymn number to locate and click on "He Comes to Us as One Unknown 768".

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