Swing low, sweet chariot - African American Spiritual

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 17 June 2004, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

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

Refrain: ||: COME-HERE-'from above', SWEET CHARIOT.
KNOW+ YOU BRING-TO-heaven (2h)ME HOME HON.-INDEX-heaven. :||

1. ME LOOK-TO ISRAEL RIVER, ME WITNESS "WHAT"? BRING-TO-heaven ME HOME HON.INDEX-heaven.
ANGEL SCADS-OF GROUP-COME-TO-me.
BRING-TO-heaven ME HOME HON.-INDEX-heaven. Refrain

2. IF (2h)YOU ARRIVE THEREABOUTS-heaven BEFORE (2h)ME</>. COME-HERE-from above BRING-TO-heaven ME HOME HON.-INDEX-heaven. INFORM"all" MY FRIENDS ME ARRIVE HEAVEN WILL. COME-HERE-from above BRING-TO-heaven ME HOME HON.-INDEX-heaven. Refrain

3. SOMETIME FEEL~(2h)THUMBS-UP,
SOMETIME FEEL~(2h)THUMBS-DOWN.
BRING-TO-heaven ME HOME HON.-INDEX-heaven.
STILL MY SOUL BELIEVE ARRIVE-heaven WILL.
BRING-TO-heaven ME HOME INDEX-heaven. ||: Refrain :||


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

COME-HERE-'from above' - (2h)[B] move in circles swiveling at the wrist to gesture the chariot to come down from Heaven.

CHARIOT - formed by using the NDH [C], PO > DS, FO away, as the front part that shields the driver and an [N] inside the [C] to show someone standing there, and both hands move towards NDS.

SCADS-OF - (2h)[5:], POs down, FOs away, move forward to show many beings.

GROUP-COME-TO-me - (2h)[C], POs ><, FOs away, come together to show a group and then move group towards signer.

Lyrics:

Refrain: |: Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home! :|

1. I looked over Jordan and what did I see,
Comin' for to carry me home!
A band of angels comin' after me,
Comin' for to carry me home!

2. If you get there before I do,
Comin' for to carry me home,
Jess tell my friends that I'm acomin' too,
Comin' for to carry me home.

3. I'm sometimes up and sometimes down,
Comin' for to carry me home,
But still my soul feels heavenly bound
Comin' for to carry me home!

treble clef as a symbol for musicTo hear the music (without words), go to American Spirituals, scroll down and click on "Swing low, sweet chariot."

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