Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling - Will L. Thompson

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 20 February 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. QUIET, SOFT-HEARTED, JESUS NOW CALL US.
CALL FOR (2h)YOU, FOR ME.
CLOSE-TO DOOR HE-lf WAIT"over time" WATCH"over time."
WATCH"over time" FOR (2h)YOU, FOR ME.

Refrain: (role play) COME-ON HOME. COME-ON HOME. (2h)YOU EXHAUSTED, COME-ON HOME. (end role play) SERIOUS, SOFT-HEARTED, JESUS NOW CALL US. (role play) CALL (2h)YOU NOW TIME COME-ON HOME. (end role play)

2. WHY SHOULD WE PUT-OFF, HAPPEN JESUS PLEAD?
PLEAD FOR (2h)YOU, FOR ME.
WHY SHOULD WE WASTE TIME, NOT PAY-ATTENTION HE-lf HAVE-MERCY-ON-you?
HAVE-MERCY-ON-you (2h)YOU, HAVE-MERCY-ON-me ME. Refrain:

3. TIME STEP-BY-STEP FAST NOW. EACH MINUTE GONE.
TIME NEVER COME-#BACK TO US.
DAY DARK"step by step", SOME-DAY WE DIE.
DEATH COME-spiral FOR (2h)YOU, FOR ME. Refrain

4. LOOK-FORWARD WONDERFUL L-O-V-E, HE-lf PROMISE.
PROMISE TO (2h)YOU, TO ME.
DOESN'T-MATTER WE SIN, STILL HAVE-MERCY-ON-us US, PARDON.
PARDON FOR (2h)YOU, FOR ME. Refrain


Notes: SOFT-HEARTED - HEART + (2h)[5^] descend slightly twice while closing to (2h)[O^] but hands close to heart.

(2h)YOU - Underlined words are honorific indices ("indexes"), using the FT of the upturned palm to indicate who is being honored.

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

EXHAUSTED - TIRED + [V], PO up, FO > NDS, is drawn with effort across the palm of [B], PO up, FO away.

PLEAD - BEG.

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

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.

PARDON - Sign EXCUSE, switch dominance and sign EXCUSE again.

Lyrics:

1. Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He�s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Refrain: Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

2. Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

3. Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.

4. O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

treble clef as a symbol for musicTo hear a musical setting of these lyrics (without words), go to Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling.

Home