Hark the herald angels sing - Charles Wesley & Felix Mendelssohn

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 18 December 20005, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

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

1. LOOK-UP-TO-Heaven HEAVEN ANGEL SING,
ANNOUNCE RECENT BORN KING HAVE GLORY.
PEACE HERE EARTH, MERCY-ON-us SOFT-HEARTED.
NOW (<) GOD, (>) SINNER #BACK-WITH TOGETHER.
HAPPY (2h)#ALL (2h)YOU NATION ARISE.
JOIN CELEBRATE HEAVEN SONG.
ANNOUNCE WITH ANGEL, INFORM WORLD,
CHRIST FINISH BORN BETHLEHEM.

Refrain: LOOK-UP-TO-Heaven HEAVEN ANGEL SING,
ANNOUNCE RECENT BORN KING HAVE GLORY.

2. HEAVEN ITS ANGEL WORSHIP CHRIST
WHY? HE-lf LORD RULE FOREVER.
LONG TIME WE WAIT, SEE HIM-lf COME.
FIRST TIME VIRGIN MOTHER GIVE-BIRTH.
BODY HUMAN, BUT GOD 'S OWN SOUL.
alt.GREET GOD BECOME MAN.
WILLING LIVE IN FLESH LIKE US,
JESUS BECOME GOD WITH US.

3. GREET HEAVEN ITS PRINCE BRING PEACE!
GREET SUN HAVE RIGHTEOUSNESS!
(<) LIGHT, (>) LIFE, HE-lf BRING FOR (2h)#ALL.
HE-lf WILL RISE, OUR SIN FORGIVE.
SOFT-HEARTED HE-lf, WILLING GLORY SET-ASIDE,
HIS-lf LIFE WILL DESTROY OUR DEATH.
HIS-lf LIFE CAUSE OUR SOUL ADVANCED.
HIS-lf LIFE OFFER BORN AGAIN.

4. PLEASE COME-DOWN, WE WAIT FOR YOU-lf.
OUR HEART NEED YOU-lf LIVE INSIDE-SELF.
MARY HER-rt SEED CAN CONQUER SIN.
DEVIL LIKE SNAKE HE-lf,hi WILL CRUSH.
SHOW-TO-us US YOUR POWER SAVE,
FIX OUR SOUL WE CAUSE BREAK-DOWN.
WE NOT-YET UNDERSTAND FULL
HOW WE CAN BECOME LIKE YOU-lf,hi.

5. WE LIKE ADAM OFF-GOAL-lf&rt.
STAMP YOUR IMAGE ON OUR SOUL.
JESUS REPLACE ADAM HIS-ctr WAY.
HELP-us US NOW WORTH YOUR-lf,hi LOVE.
WE NEED #BACK-WITH YOU-lf,hi, WE PRAY
TEACH-us US FOLLOW YOU-lf,hi TODAY.
WE NEED VISUALIZE YOUR-lf,hi PLAN.
IF WE BELIEVE IN HEART, WE CAN.


Notes: 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.

MERCY-ON-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.

SOFT-HEARTED - HEART + (2h)[5^] descend slightly twice while closing to (2h)[O^].

#BACK-WITH - (2h)[B], POs ><, FOs up, are held at respective sides. The hands transition to a C and then a K while rushing towards each other and contacting.

(2h)#ALL - (2h)[A], POs ><, FOs up, are held at shoulder height and move away while opening to (2h)[L].

YOU - Underlined prounouns (ME, YOU, HE) are honorific indices, using the FT of the upturned palm to indicate who is being honored.

ARISE - (2h)[5], POs down, FOs away, rise while wg.

BETHLEHEM - "B" CITY. For an animated gif of this sign, see Valley Bible Church - ASL dictionary: Bethlehem.

WORSHIP - 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.

VIRGIN - [V], PO away, FO up, brushes against DS of chin twice.

GIVE-BIRTH - S-BORN.

GREET - Hands alt. salute from forehead, but hands are more diagonal than a military salute.

FLESH - SKIN.

PRINCE - P-KING.

RIGHTEOUSNESS - Elbow of DH [S] is placed firmly against the backhand of NDH [B], PO down.

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

RISE - [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.

SOFT-HEARTED - HEART + (2h)[5^] descend slightly twice while closing to (2h)[O^].

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.

SET-ASIDE - (2h)[B], POs > DS, with DH higher, palms are pressed against imaginary wall that is pushed to one side.

ADVANCED - (2h)[B^], POs ><, FOs up, move upwards arcing towards the signer. For an animated gif of this sign, see Animated dictionary of religious signs - Deaf Missions: Exalted.

COME-DOWN - (2h)[B^] move in circles pivoting at the wrists while eyes gaze upwards as if beckoning God to come down.

INSIDE-SELF - The FT of [C] are held against the chest and stuff the FT of [O^] into the [C] twice.

MARY - [M] touches NDS temple, is drawn across forehead, and descends. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Mary - 1.

CRUSH - [5:] is bent up at wrist and plows across the NDH palm.

BREAK-DOWN - (2h)[5:], POs ><, interlace fingers and then bring knuckles downwards.

ADAM - [A] taps DS temple with thumb tip 2x.

OFF-GOAL-lf&rt - DH [S], PO > NDS, flicks finger off to the left and then to the right.

STAMP - [S], PO > NDS, FO away, strikes upturned palm.

IMAGE - I-PICTURE.

VISUALIZE - (2h)[S] are held at forehead with DH closer to head, and hands open to (2h)[5] while separating while FT wg. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Vision - 1.

Lyrics:

1. Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th'angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

2. Christ, by highest Heav'n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th'incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

3. Hail the heav'nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

4. Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman's conqu'ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

5. Adam's likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

treble clef as a symbol for musicTo hear this song performed, go to Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (arr. Wilberg).

To see another translation of this hymn performed, go to Hark! The herald angels sing.signing hands

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