Pastorale (Down from the heav'ns on high/Tu scendi dalle stelle) - Pope Pius 9 & Tommaso Capocci, H.C. Martens (trans.)

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created , 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-lf,hi COME-DOWN FROM HEAVEN FAR-AWAY-lf.
LEAVE YOUR-lf,hi HOME IN STAR DOT-SKY.
||: YOUR-lf BED IN MOUNTAIN SCOOPED-OUT DURING WINTER SNOW. :||
CHILD SWEET, HOLY GOD, ME SEE YOU-lf SHIVER HUMBLE,
BUT STILL KING AND LORD RULE (2h)#ALL.
||: CRAZY-FOR. YOUR-lf L-O-V-E BEYOND CALCULATE, R-A-R-E. :||

2. (<) CLOTHES WARM NONE. (>) FIRE WARM HAVE-NONE.
||: LORD SWEET, SMALL, GOD APPOINT YOU-lf SPECIAL. :||
LONG-AGO YOU-lf MAKE WORLD, BABY KING SUPREME.
WORLD IDEA~LIKE FEMALE SERVANT LOYAL,
SEE YOU-lf POOR, TOUCHED.
||: FOR SURE WE WILL HAVE L-O-V-E. WHY? SELF-ON-INDEX POOR! :||

3. GOD BECOME MAN MUST LIE"over time" IN H-A-Y. IMAGINE!
||: YOU-lf MUST LIVE HERE EARTH, EXPERIENCE EVERY TROUBLE. :||
MY HEART SOAR-TO HEAVEN.
ME WORSHIP MY JESUS INSPIRED.
WHY? HE-lf alt.GIFT-TO-me ME EVERYTHING.
||: HE-lf SUFFER MUST. WHY? WIN HEAVEN FOR ME. :||

4. YOUR EYES NOW TEARY. WHY? YOUR L-O-V-E CAUSE YOU-lf WILLING
||: SUFFER (<) PAIN, (>) LOSE. CRUCIFIED, DIE. :||
SWEET LORD JESUS, ME SEE YOUR-lf GRIEF,
CAUSE ME CRY.
ME CHERISH (<) MY LORD, (>) MY GOD.
||: (<) GRIEF, (>) FEAR CAUSE YOU-lf CRY? NO, L-O-V-E. :||

5. YOUR-lf LOVE SO-MUCH MORE-THAN ME CAN OFFER-lf,
||: NO-MATTER YOU-lf BABY. YOU-lf CRY MUST WHILE MARY
ROCK-IN-ARMS READY FALL-ASLEEP. :||
WISH HERE (<) TREES, (>) FLOWER alt.5:-CL'random'.
YOUR CRADLE SUN-SHINE-ON.
||: LAMB SWEET, PLEASE NOT CRY STRONG. ME LOVE YOU-lf MORE-AND-MORE. :||

6. YOUR BABY HANDS NOW FOLD-ARMS, WHILE EYES-CLOSE GO-AHEAD DREAM.
||: ME WATCH"over time"-lf, PAY-ATTENTION-lf. SLEEP POSTPONE LATER. :||
ME NOTICE-lf YOUR FACIAL-EXPRESSION SHOW-me
YOU-lf DREAM ABOUT FUTURE SAD.
YOU-lf LAMB, PURE, WITHOUT SIN.
||: ME HEAR YOU-lf SAY, (role play to rt) FOR YOUR S-A-K-E, ME DIE MUST. :||

7. YOU-lf GIVE-UP~OFFER YOUR LIFE FOR ME. THAT LOVE SUPREME.
||: (role play to right) CRAZY-FOR. MARY, MOTHER BEAUTIFUL, ME HOPE BEST FOR YOU-rt. :||
WE GREET YOU-rt VIRGIN MOTHER BLESS-you.
YOU-rt LOVE YOUR-rt SON MORE-THAN ANY CAN.
(<) GRACE, (>) TRUTH, OVERFLOW.
||: ME PRAY GOD HIMSELF-rt RULE FAR-AWAY SEND L-O-V-E SETTLE-ON-me. :||


Notes: YOU - Underlined prounouns (ME</>, YOU</>, HE) are honorific indices ("indexes"), using the FT of the upturned palm to indicate who is being honored.

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

FAR-AWAY - [1], twists while moving away with tongue shuttling from side to side. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Far.

DOT-SKY - (2h)[5:], POs and FOs diagonally up, hands jab upwards as if dotting the sky with stars.

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

SCOOPED-OUT - To show "cave" (since FS is hard to see), sign MOUNTAIN and then with NDH still in place, scoop a cave out of the mountain just signed.

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

SHIVER - Mime shivering.

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

CRAZY-FOR - [5:], PO > singer, FO up, is shaken slightly from side to side.

NONE - (2h)[O], POs ><, FOs up, hands move away.

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

APPOINT - NDH PO away, FO up, DH [5], PO away, FO up, DH closes to an [F] and strikes NDH palm with thumb side.

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

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

LOYAL - L-PERSONALITY.

TOUCHED - Middle finger of [open 8] strikes heart.

SELF-ON-INDEX - [A], PO > signer, FO away, taps against [1], PO > DS, FO up.

LIE"over time" - [V], PO up, FO away, is laid in the palm of [B], PO up, FO > DS, and both hands move in a circle normal (perpendicular) to the chest.

SOAR-TO - [B], PO away, FO up, shoots diagonally upwards.

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.

alt.GIFT-TO-me - (2h)[X], POs ><, FOs up, hands alt. move > signer.

TEARY - (2h)[1], fingers point > eyes and then curl to (2h)[X].

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.

CRUCIFIED - Thumbside of [S] is "driven" into palm of [B], PO away, FO up, then vice versa.

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

SO-MUCH - (2h)[5:], POs ><, FOs away, separate while "so much" is mouthed.

MORE-THAN - (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.

NO-MATTER - DOESN'T-MATTER.

ROCK-IN-ARMS - Mime.

FALL-ASLEEP - (2h)[5:], DH PO > face, FO up, NDH PO up, FO away. Both hands close to [A], with twisting around and striking NDH from above.

alt.5:-CL"random" - [5:], PO down, FO away, alt. and randomly are brought down to show placement of objects.

CRADLE - (2h)[S], POs away, FOs up, grasp the frame of a cradle and rock it back and forth.

MORE-AND-MORE - MORE is signed twice but with the NDH kept in place.

GO-AHEAD - (2h)[B^ dot], POs ><, FOs away, move forward in a jerk.

FACIAL-EXPRESSION - (2h)[X], POs ><, FOs up, hands alt. rise and fall.

PURE - like NICE but the DH moves backwards slightly on the palm, pauses, then moves forward rapidly to show intensity.

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.

CRAZY-FOR - [5:], PO > singer, FO up, is shaken slightly from side to side.

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

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

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.

OVERFLOW - [5], PO down, FO away, covers top of [S], PO > DS, FO away, and FT wiggle as the hand moves away, like a cup overflowing. For a QuickTime movie of this sign, see ASL browser - overflow.

SETTLE-ON-me - (2h)[5], POs > signer, hands are held high and FT wg while moving > signer.

Lyrics:

1. Down from the heav'ns on high, from out the starry sky,
||: In winter's cold and snow, Thy bed a cave below. :||
O sweet child divine and holy,
Thee I behold here trembling and lowly,
The King and Lord of all!
||: Ah priceless love and rare, in stall reclining there! :||

2. No robe to shield from storm, no fire to keep Thee warm.
||: Dear little Lord who are by God's will set apart. :||
Thou, Creator, Babe most royal,
Poverty, Thy handmaid loyal,
E'er flames her heart for Thee!
||: For man is love made sure, since Love itself is poor! :||

3. For God's own breast divine, Thou must on hay recline.
||: Here linger till Thou know full well life's every woe. :||
O my heart to heaven is soaring,
Now my Jesus with transports adoring,
Who giveth all to me!
||: Why must He suffer pain? To win me heavn'ly gain! :||

4. Soft tears Thine eyes now fill, whose love has made Thee will
||: To suffer pain and loss, to die upon a Cross. :||
Dear Lord Jesus, how swift the arousal
Of my own tears for Thy grief's espousal,
Beloved Lord and God!
||: For love, not grief nor fear, Thou sheddest every tear. :||

5. As great Thy love and wide, so small doth mine abide;
||: Tho' Baby, Thou must weep, in my arms laid to sleep. :||
O if this here were but a bower fragrant,
With scent of tree and flower,
A sunny cradle for Thee!
||: Dear Lamb, weep not so sore, I love Thee ever more! :||

6. Thy baby hands now fold, while dreams Thine eyelids hold.
||: My watch shall sleep forefend, while I on Thee attend. :||
O what sorrowful dream is enshrouding
Thy infant brow with shadow beclouding.
O Lambkin, spotless and pure?
||: "For thy sake I must die." I hear an anguished cry. :||

7. Thy life Thou'lt give for me. Can greater love e'er be?
||: O Mary Mother fair, to Thee in hope I repair. :||
Hail to Thee O blest Virgin-Mother.
Loving Thy Son as can no other,
O full of grace and Truth!
||: Pray God who reigns above, to shed on me His love. :||

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