Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven - Henry F. Lyte & John Goss (Alternate tunes: Franz J. Haydn or Henry T. Smart)

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 18 August 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. MY SOUL PRAISE KING RULE HEAVEN.
PRECIOUS THINGS TO HIM-ctr ME BRING.
HE-ctr PAY-OFF MY SIN DEBT FINISH.
HEALED THROUGH FORGIVE ME PRAISE FOREVER.
ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!
PRAISE THE-ctr KING RULE FOREVER.

2. PRAISE HIM-ctr. WHY? HE-ctr SEND GRACE.
HELP OUR FOREFATHERS ESCAPE STRESS.
PRAISE HIM-ctr STILL FOREVER-FUTURE~EVER-PAST.
WE SIN, HE-ctr PATIENT, WILLING BLESS.
ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!
WE TRUST-lf HE-ctr SUPPORT WONDERFUL.

3. HEAVENLY-FATHER TAKE-CARE-OF-us US ALWAYS.
HE-ctr AWARE WE WEAK INSIDE-SELF.
HIS-ctr PRECIOUS HANDS LIFT-UP~CARRY-AWAY US.
MEAN WE ESCAPE OUR ENEMY CAN.
ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!
HE-ctr MERCY-ON"each" WORLD GENERAL.

4. OUR LIFE IDEA~LIKE SUMMER FLOWER.
AT-FIRST WE BLOSSOM, LATER DISSOLVE.
WHILE WE HUMAN HAVE-UPS&DOWNS,
OUR GOD LIVE FOREVER-FUTURE~EVER-PAST.
PRAISE HIM-ctr, PRAISE HIM-ctr, ALLELUIA!
PRAISE HIM-ctr LIVE HEAVEN ADVANCED.

5. WE ASK ANGEL HELP-us WORSHIP.
THEY-rt CAN SEE HIM-ctr FACE-TO-FACE.
SUN, MOON, BOW-DOWN~HIM-ctr.
EVERYTHING HE-ctr MAKE CHERISH HIM-ctr.
ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!
COME-ON PRAISE GOD-ctr SEND GRACE.


Notes: PRECIOUS/CHERISH - (2h)[5:], hold FTs by the sides of the chin and move down while maintaining contact and closing to (2h)[S].

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

PAY-OFF - [open 8] runs middle finger up palm (> wrist), changes to a [B], PO down, and then moves back across palm.

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.

DEBT - Tap upturned palm with index finger.

ALLELUIA! - CLAP-HANDS~CELEBRATE + open hands into (2h)[5] while lifting.

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.

FOREFATHERS - PARENTS + (2h)[5], POs ><, FOs up, move in a vertical circle while moving back over shoulder.

STRESS - DH [B], PO down, FO away, push down slightly on [S], PO > DS, FO away.

FOREVER-FUTURE~EVER-PAST - DH [Y], PO down, FO > NDS, swings outwards with FO turning away, then NDH [Y], PO down, FO > DS, swings backwards with FO turning to over the shoulder.

BLESS - (2h)[O^], POs ><, held at mouth. Hands are brought downwards while opening to (2h)[5]. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Bless.

HEAVENLY-FATHER - (2h)[A], FOs up, DH - held against forehead, NDH close to but lower, both hands open to (2h)[5] while moving upwards. HEAVEN may be added to this. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Heavenly Father - 1.

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

MERCY-ON"each" - (2h)[open 8], POs > people who are receiving mercy, hands move in vertical circles normal (perpendicular) to the chest.

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

AT-FIRST - [1], PO down, FO away, supinates like the sign FIRST, but strikes the thumb of NDH [A dot], PO > DS, FO away. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: First.

BLOSSOM - (2h)[A] are held together but the hands are twisted like the beginning of CHANGE. Hands twist back while opening to (2h)[5:] with the hands still held together.

HAVE-UPS&DOWNS - (2h)[Bb], POs down, FOs away, are held side-by-side. DH tilts and moves up, then tilts and moves down.

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.

ANGEL - (2h)[B^] touch FTs to shoulders, then arms extended and bent move slightly as if flying gently.

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.

FACE-TO-FACE - NDH circles face, then DH circles face.

BOW-DOWN - (2h)[B], POs away, FOs up, are held like the final position of GIVE-UP, then bend these arms twice while bowing at waist once.

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.

Lyrics:

1. Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven;
To His feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.

2. Praise Him for His grace and favor
To our fathers in distress.
Praise Him still the same as ever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glorious in His faithfulness.

3. Fatherlike He tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame He knows.
In His hands He gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Widely yet His mercy flows.

4. Frail as summer's flower we flourish,
Blows the wind and it is gone;
But while mortals rise and perish
Our God lives unchanging on,
Praise Him, Praise Him, Hallelujah
Praise the High Eternal One!

5. Angels, help us to adore Him;
Ye behold Him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him,
Dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace.

treble clef as a symbol for musicTo hear the music (without words), go to CyberHymnal: Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven.

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