Psalm 121: Our help comes from the Lord - Michael Joncas

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 17 October 2007, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

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

1. MOUNTAINS, ME LOOK-UP-TO-rt~LOOK-AT'over time'.
WHY? LORD SEND HELP WILL.
HIMSELF-rt ALWAYS WILLING HELP-me.
HE-rt (<) MAKE HEAVEN, (>) MAKE EARTH.

2. PRAY+ HE-rt PREVENT (2h)YOU STUMBLE.
GOD SLEEP NEVER, ALWAYS TAKE-CARE-OF"each".
KNOW-THAT HE-rt AWAKE, DROWSY NEVER.
JEWISH PEOPLE, HE-rt GUARD"over time".

3. THE-rt LORD GUARD; THE-rt LORD MAKE (2h)YOU COOL.
HE-rt NEXT-TO (2h)YOU, SUPPORT.
ALL-DAY HE-rt PROTECT AGAINST SUN.
ALL-NIGHT HE-rt PROTECT AGAINST MOON.

4. EACH BAD INFLUENCE, GOD PROTECT.
YOUR SOUL, HE-rt GUARD.
ANY* PLACE (2h)YOU TRAVEL,
LORD PROTECT FROM-NOW-ON FOREVER.

5. GLORY TO HEAVENLY-FATHER, TO HIS-rt SON,
AND TO HOLY SPIRIT.
HE-rt ETERNAL: LONG-AGO, NOW,
AND CONTINUE FOREVER. AMEN.


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

KNOW-THAT - Starts like KNOW but twists and descends, looking almost like DON'T-KNOW except the hand twists down at the end.

AWAKE - (2h)[C], POs ><, FOs up, are held framing the eyes.

DROWSY - (2h)[B^], PO down, FOs ><, are held at eye level and alt. twist so that PO > signer as if eyelids were drooping.

GUARD - G-PROTECT.

COOL - Fan face with (2h)[B].

FROM-NOW-ON - (2h)[B^], POs ><, FOs away, DHFT touches knuckle side of NDHFT and moves away in a downward arc. For a QuickTime movie of this sign, see ASL browser - from now on.

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.

HEAVENLY-FATHER - (2h)[A], FOs up, DH is 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.

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

ETERNAL - ALWAYS + DH produces STILL in the usual way, and the NDH produces STILL so that it moves back over the shoulder. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Eternal.

AMEN - (2h)[B], FOs up, are pressed together and brought down in a long, deliberate motion. For an animated gif of this sign, see Animated dictionary of religious signs - Deaf Missions: Amen.

Lyrics:

Refrain: Our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

1. I will lift up my eyes to the mountains:
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth.

2. May he never allow you to stumble!
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not, nor slumbers,
He, Israel's guard.

3. The Lord is your guard and your shade:
at your right hand he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you
nor the moon in the night.

4. The Lord will guard you from evil:
he will guard your soul.
The Lord will guard your going and your coming
both now and forever.

5. Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginiing, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.

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