Malmivaaran Siionin Virret englanniksi

[Thomas McElwain]

1  5.9.5.9.5.9.5.9
1 Why slumber do you?
The sinner must beg to awaken.
The battle comes too,
You must meet both death and be shaken.
So now count the cost
And hear from within conscience pleading,
Astounded and lost
You’ll see the weakness of your leading.

2 Then do contemplate
Your destiny each moment fleeting,
You know that your fate
Is a last and unhappy meeting,
If you let your heart
Shut out the Lord Jesus’s speaking,
And by your crimes’ part
You sink down to hell without seeking.

3 It is a sad thing
To purposely run in the danger,
In the corrupting
And from Jesus’s care a stranger.
If you should fall ill,
Too late for repentance and dreaming,
When the soul falls still
From the temperate body scheming.

4 It is without sense
To waste both the heav’nly and earthy
On vain arguments
And rush into hell as unworthy.
He toys with the world
Giving in to Satan for spoiling,
And so lights unfurled
His own damnation’s fires uncoiling.

5 O dear sinner here,
Why live so unrighteously ailing,
Unconscious of fear
And Jesus’s pains and travailing?
Repent out of hand,
And turn back from ways that are sinful,
So anguish will stand
And sorrows will break by the binful.

6 Though you hesitate,
And flee away from the Lord’s chiding,
His grace remains great,
He would call at last out of hiding.
So come to a halt,
There’s no other way to be winning
Grace instead of fault:
Abhor all the world and its sinning.

7 Why then play your games?
Why have faith in hopes that are worthless?
Why joy in your aims,
While Satan destroys your soul mirthless?
From sin never rise
Any pleasures deep and eternal,
Instead sins comprise
A horrible judgment infernal.

8 Why should I hide it?
Your end is a sorrowful journey,
As you are unfit
To come to God without attorney,
If you do appear
Then before God as you’re steering.
O sinner, I fear
You could repent now from your veering.

9 O my Lord above!
Do not keep Your mercy from working,
Let Your word of love
Set me free from Satan’s coils lurking!
Let Your judgment be
Familiar to me from my sinning,
And so set me free
And help my end here to be winning.

[Thomas McElwain]

2  8.7.8.7.8.8.7

1 Oh, how can you, sinner, allow
Yourself to lie hard-hearted,
Ungrieving on lust’s beds to bow?
Remember those departed
In death and do not dare to stand
So boastful in a hellish band
That death shall come to swallow.

2 Then truly always keep in mind,
You have just one soul only,
There’s no reward in faith and kind
To go unsaved and lonely.
All the gold and wealth of the world
Is only dust and ashes hurled
And not one soul redeeming.

3 Oh, how then shall you snatch away
Your soul from sin and dying,
And what can you give in its pay
To keep from painful sighing?
There’s no man living on the earth
Able to help you from the dearth
Of the flames of perdition.

4 So hide that truth within your heart
And from your state awaken,
Nor to the lake of fire depart
In such a rage and shaken.
Your lamp may soon extinguished be,
The Lord gives yet a moment free,
So use it to your blessing.

5 The eventide is come to hand,
The judgment’s at the corner,
But still the Lord’s here to remand
Grace to repentant scorner.
Wrath soon will tumble you in hell,
If you but follow Satan well
Who looks on you with laughter.

Sinner’s response:

6 It seems as though I just awoke.
Oh that it might be truly!
How then into such grace I broke,
Dead in my sins unduly?
The binding ice of sin is still
Upon mine eyes, darknesses fill
My hopeless lot repining.

Jesus’s response:

7 The better ointment on your eyes
Receive, it’s yours and gifted;
And for your dead mind now arise,
My Word’s fire’s on you lifted.
Open your spirit’s eye alone
To see your path of thorn and stone,
Examine it completely.

Sinner’s response:

8 In horror now I tremble here,
Because of all my failing;
Just like a leaf in storm I fear
My heart awakes in quailing,
As costly hour of grace goes past
I’ve wasted all hopes in the blast
And broken my Lord’s spirit.

9 Open to see my list of debts
With horror here before me
And witness thousandfold regrets
For all the crimes that tore me.
My very body fails to see
Before my conscience come to be
The payment for my sinning.

10 O mountain peaks that stand on high
Fall down on me and hide me,
And cover my wicked ways nigh
That stand here to deride me.
I cannot bear the glory’s sight
Of my God’s face and of His might
As I must come before Him.

11 You wellsprings of my eyes o’er flow
With many tears and crying,
That hot and bitter, bloody show.
Naught hides my youthful sighing,
For sins long done against my God
And Father in my youthful prod,
And heavy wickednesses.

12 My conscience has been punctured through,
That righteous arrows harden,
O sin! How have your charms gone too
And cheated me of pardon!
The wine of your lust I have drunk
I thought so sweet before I sunk
Has turned outright to poison.

[Thomas McElwain]

2a

1 Oh, where should a poor one attain
The victor’s place of hiding?
Though I should travel hill and plain
As far as dawn’s abiding,
And sunrise reddens all the sky
The heaven and earth to beautify,
There too my Lord shall find me.

2 Ah Lord of patient heart and mind,
I must come once before You,
Although in iniquity blind,
Be judged as I adore You.
No one could then stand in Your sight
If after Your own judgment’s right,
You struck a dry stalk shaking.

3 You always act in mercy’s way
To souls that You awaken,
They’ve often known the hold and stay,
In grace they’re not forsaken,
But that You loved them then and still
You bear the witness by Your will
In Jesus’ suffering favor.

4 You wakened me also from sleep.
Now breaks my heart for failing
The horrors of death’s waves that creep.
Then hear me and my wailing.
Be strong to save, Immanuel,
My tattered soul from cruel spell
Of Satan, the enslaver.

5 My lamp of faith is going out,
Unless You come and kindle
The soul that sinks in night and doubt,
Without Jesus, a swindle.
Give me Your Word to be my light,
Your Spirit to sustain my right,
For them I have been longing.

6 Ah, open now the blinded eyes,
The fog of sin removing.
No matter where I seek the prize,
No other safety’s proving.
You make the deaf at last to hear,
Give health to those ailing in fear,
The weak sustaining ever.

7 In thirst You are a spring to me,
In hunger You are feeding,
When in sin’s wilderness I flee,
You’re the shepherd I’m needing.
Be the trunk for my branch allowed,
A safe staff for the lame and bowed,
Save from a law condemning.

8 To my heart in the lowering cold
You are the warm sun shining,
A light to one in darkness sold,
The help of the bound pining.
Revivify the deadened mind,
And strengthen the weak and resigned,
And care with every kindness!

[Pena]

I like these a lot. I find them in a way as the 'King James' version' of Malmivaara's hymns. 

[seppos]

I have to agree with Pena

Olen samaa miletä Pena n kanssa. Minulta on kysytty niitä monesti onko niistä englänninkielistä käännöstä ja nyt kun löytyy laadukkaita käänöksiä olen todella iloinen.

[Thomas McElwain]

Oi kiitos teille ystävällisistä sanoista. Aloitin kääntää, kun huomasin Malmivaaran version lipsuvan historian rakoon. Seuroissa olen tottunut veisaamaan uutta versiota ja muissa tilaisuuksissa esitetään venhempaa. 1893--1972 kausi on jäämässä unhoon. Niin omaksi ilokseni olen vieraillut menneissä seuroissa mielikuvituksessani ja havainnut vanhojen versioiden olevan rakennukseksi. Jos olisin aavistanut, että joku käyttäisi niitä, olisin varmaan revennut kääntämään uudempaa tekstiä, vaikka sekin on kohta vanhentunut!
Nämä ovat puolta pidemmät kuin nykykirjassa. Vaikka nykyisessä versiossa sanoma on varmaan sama ja ilmaisu nykyihmiselle nasevampi, nämä löysät ja pitkät virret puhuttelvat minua.

[Thomas McElwain]

3 8.7.8.7.7.7.8.8

1 Do not run ahead so quickly!
Watch the rugged road with care!
Make your calculations thickly
While the earthly’s still your share!
Constant anguish may stalk you,
As your tomb stands to mock you,
Headwinds batter you and beat you,
On all sides miseries meet you.

2 Oh how many days are cheerless,
Darkened by the Devil’s path,
By his cheating deceit fearless,
Led astray and into wrath.
Everyone caught in his sins
Believes himself saved and grins,
Until the day of his dying,
When hell meets him undenying.

3 If he only could returning
Leave that horrid state of hell,
After tasting of its burning,
And the end of wishful spell,
And could start his life again,
On the earth slate clean and plain,
He’d take careful note and lending
To where his pathways were tending.

4 There’s no sound now of repenting,
Though from sin the market crowd
Jesus commands all relenting
Come beneath his mercy’s shroud.
Bravely does no sinner fear
Though his fateful death is near,
Stupidly he comes forsaking
The kernel for the husk he’s taking.

5 Vain is the time that’s being spent
Plotting, playing, frolicking.
The competition’s pleasure tent
Is open morn and evening.
Sinners adding their sins up,
Filling the Deceiver’s cup:
Why are they his slaves who ought
To be the folk their Lord has bought?

6 Your name, O Jesus, brought to shame
By every sinful journey,
Your Word’s abused and used for blame,
Butt of clown and attorney.
Damnation’s on every tongue,
Prisoners the devil stung,
Condemned to judgment for their spite:
The fuel for hell fires burning bright.

7 Don’t you think that you’ll be surprised
By hell fire’s retribution?
Your tomb walls’ marks are realized:
Mene, tekel, upharsin.
Come stand before the Lord’s throne,
Answer for your sins alone,
Before you death’s carriage waiting,
This is your last hour belating.

8 Nations of all heathen countries,
Far beyond the seas and isles,
Little of God’s laws confrontings,
Nothing knowing of faith’s smiles,
Shall at last in judgment stand
On the sinful Christian band
That until the last judgment hour
Lived far worse than in pagan power.

9 Still voices of preachers are heard
Proclaim faith and repentance,
And glory attained by the Word,
Rest to our souls in sentence,
But since vanity’s so dear
The folk’s consciences to sear,
They do not hear the Lord’s pleading
Nor come to follow in His leading.

10 Woe, woe unto your wretchedness
Come at the end of your life,
If you come to time’s endlessness
Conscience sleeping, your sin rife!
Bow down now in humble prayer,
Contrite on the good Lord’s stair,
Make sure of your true repentance,
Or sorrowful be your sentence.

[Thomas McElwain]

4  11.11.10.10

1 Awake, awake up  from your wicked sleeping!
Jesus would set you free from sin’s chains keeping
And give you the free gift of grace this hour:
The law on your behalf’s fulfilled with power.

2 You think that sinful slumber’s sweet and chary,
But the Lord bears a witness and contrary.
He’ll hurry out to meet you in His grace
When He shall see you lie dead on your face.

3 Ah, hear His loving voice, he calls you sweetly,
In pity sorrows over you completely:
Come here, I shall not keep your sins in mind,
But I forgive them all by grace you’ll find.

4 If there is still a human heart that’s beating
Within your breast, keep my pains still repeating
That I have suffered for you in your past,
When you were my worst enemy outcast.

5 O sinner, you may come to me repenting,
I have help and hope for you still relenting,
My mercy you will certainly receive,
My friendship and at last from sin reprieve.

6 Oh harden no more your heart, do not harden,
But from your sinful sleep rise up in pardon,
It’s time to recognize your fearful state
And realize sin’s wages that await.

7 Have mercy on your own soul and awaken
To chiding of the Spirit on mistaken
Heart of yours sunk in darkness, sinful night,
And mind caught up in worldly fashion’s plight.

8 Have I done aught to harm you, asks the Father,
Why then do you run astray from Me rather?
What burden have I laid upon your heart?
When have I ever severed you apart?

9 Come back, come back, and I shall chide you never
For sins, but help to keep you from them ever.
Come to the cross and crawling creeping there
Turn eyes upon the lamb of God as fair.

10 Stop harrowing the Lord to bring Him sorrow,
Today your best friend, there may be no morrow!
Waste no time now, but hurry to repent
And fall before your own Redeemer spent.

[Thomas McElwain]

Laitan ne heti tänne niin nopeasti kuin saan käännetyiksi.

5  8.7.8.7.7.7.

1 Ah, the world and all its waning
Stricken down in wickedness,
Heritage of heart complaining
Only worsens its distress.
Many rush into its fire
As though hell were their desire!

2 For what reason in this season
Are mercy and grace forgot?
What strange motive of self-treason
Thrusts for aye in hellish lot?
Is there not a Helper near
To destroy both sin and fear?

3 Jesus through a path of sorrows
And of his obedience
Won each soul from sin’s tomorrows,
From the curse that sin presents.
Still some do not want the gift,
Rather into hell they drift.

4 If all only kept reminding
Themselves, they might better know
That they are their own souls binding
In destruction as they go
On the way of sinful lust,
Doubt instead of faith and trust.

5 If they only while in sinning
With a will and energy
Should keep in mind from beginning
With what pain and misery
Jesus gave his very blood
For their sakes as in a flood!

6 In the Savior’s name I pray you,
Sinful wretches that you be
In the wilderness where stray you,
Come to the throne of mercy,
Beg of God His mercy done
Through His grace by His own Son.

7 With your whole heart and sincerely
Beg and pray that from your sin
You may escape and know clearly,
What a sinful state you’re in.
Without faith when you find death
You’ll find hell at the next breath.

8 Do you still in sinful pathways
Joyfully continue on,
Shutting up your hearts in wrath’s ways
From the friend you could count on,
Who died for your very sake
To take away your mistake?

9 Thus he calls to you in pity:
Turn, return, O Israel!
I am from the holy city
Merciful Immanuel.
By My grace I give you grace,
By My peace My peaceful face.

10 All those who are lost and straying,
Wake them, wake them up in strength,
Dear Lord Jesus, draw them praying,
From chains of perdition’s length.
Call them by your voice from loss
To love and adore your cross.

[Thomas McElwain]

6  8.7.8.7.7.7.8.8

1 One thing, O soul, I ask of you,
Let your conscience answer well.
Is the fire of hell above you,
Do you still walk in its spell?
Do you still live in a way
Never asking of the day:
Shall I enter joys of heaven
Or damnation from the leaven?

2 How long will you let the sweetness
Of the words and voice to draw
You to self from prayer’s completeness
In perdition and in law?
Does my Spirit vainly knock
On your breast closed as a rock?
Will you not turn to me joyful,
I your refuge from the ploy full?

3 How long will you full of trouble
Wish in vanity to go,
Out of which like broken bubble
I would help you quickly row?
How long will you remain here
Heart set in both joy and fear,
Not quite living in the savour
Of the Lord nor the world’s favour?

4  Do not close your heart forever,
Nor your ear to sacred sense.
Do not stray in thoughts that ever
Fly into your mind and tents.
If only from me my grace
You thought to beg from my face,
To your soul I’d send it surely,
Light there a flame brightly, purely.

5 Then you would joyfully gather
Strength for faithfulness, for sure
I’d send on your soul the rather
Cleansing and a counsel pure.
You would see that I forget
Every sin that you have met.
I would write your name concisely
In the book of life and nicely.

6 It would not seem hard to clamber
Out of the world’s dens of sin
To come with repentant stammer
As a child of God to win.
The Word then would be a prize,
Faith bright glowing to your eyes,
Against fleshly lust in battle
With redeemed instead of cattle.

7 Lord Almighty, I am running
From beneath my pain and care,
Humbly I cry to You, shunning
All the weaknesses I bear.
May Your Spirit come to guide,
Let me in Your love abide,
To Your dear Son draw me ever,
From all other counsel sever.

8 Dearest Jesus, you whose spirit
Comes always again to me,
Search me out for all I fear it,
So I’ll find you faithfully.
Break and change my stubborn mind,
Grasp me with unbreaking bind,
Show to me your side spear-driven,
By your pains I shall be shriven.

9 Holy Spirit, without ceasing
Calling, knocking in my breast,
By your chiding word releasing,
Bend my heart and give it rest.
Lord, lead me upon the way,
Console me in Jesus’ pay.
Jesus bring his fire like flamen
To this chill heart of mine. Amen.

[Thomas McElwain]

7  11.11.11.11

1 Oh, listen, souls, to what Jesus is speaking,
While in his anguished thirst a drink he’s seeking!
He thirsts for you and for your soul’s salvation,
In pain and trouble of the crucifixion.

2 In him you would become alive and living,
If you would only take the grace he’s giving,
The Word indeed is lively and compelling
That Jesus wants to own your heart it’s telling.

3 He gathers up his words and fast to harken,
And so your stumbled pathways need not darken,
And for your sakes he left the heavenly haven,
He who’s the Way, the Truth, and Life engraven.

4 So hear now that Jesus is calling to you,
As shepherd seeking lost sheep does he view you,
And humble yourselves to his judgement sentence
Receiving joyful grace for your repentance.

5 He could take vengeance on you now in anger,
But he forgives by grace sins with a clangor,
If you do not try to escape his chiding
And twist his words to lies where you are hiding.

6 So beg to enter in his grace and timely!
He’ll not spare you his wrath but use it primely,
Though you may call the mountains down to hide you,
And justice vainly flee, it will outstride you.

7 Too long the dregs of sin you’ve been imbibing,
And selling soul to Satan for inscribing.
There is no longer time to waste in waiting,
But rush into his grace and its elating.

8 Sin must not prevent you from your repenting,
And calling on the Lord without relenting,
But let sin also be the thing to drive you
Towards the merciful one who’ll revive you.

9 He knows indeed the coldness of your spirit,
He knows the hardness of your heart, he’s near it.
It’s feeble ones the Lord takes in compassion,
Rejoicing when he may help them some fashion.

10 Since you cannot walk, he will guide and lead you.
When you are faint and weak, he’ll come and feed you.
Rejoicing he will gladly receive sinners,
He treats them as his best friends and his winners.

11 Oh come then to your best friend from all others,
He’ll make your heart his dwelling among brothers.
He’ll keep your soul within his hands completely
And by his Spirit always hold you sweetly.

12 So kiss the Christ and kiss him most sincerely
And at his feet fall down, not bowing merely!
The one who with his tears drenches them surely
Bears testimony to his love most purely.

[Thomas McElwain]

8  11.11.10.11.11.4

1 Awake, awake, you slow souls coming lately,
Remember that the Lord’s grace shines out greatly,
Exposing you out of your sinful sleep,
And offers grace: so give up every other,
And hear the warning words God will not smother:
Oh watch and pray!

2 Awake, awake, the light of grace will aid you,
The dangers of sin’s snares show that waylaid you,
And light the eyes to watch and wait and pray:
Oh choose that light of grace to guide and lead you,
For otherwise you’ll fall from heaven decreed you:
Oh watch and pray!

3 Oh watch and pray, despite the spirit’s willing
The flesh is quick to sin’s seducing billing;
The heart is utterly corrupted too.
When Jesus has brought this to your attention,
Then follow on the Spirit’s intervention:
Oh watch and pray!

4 Oh watch and pray! The serpent now takes notice,
That short is his time and weakened his vote is,
And so attempt to swallow every soul.
Ah, rise to war, and battle by grace given,
Nor sleep nor sliding help the ones who’ve striven.
Oh watch and pray!

5 Oh watch and pray, that in no dark night’s weaving
Death catch you in the path of sin deceiving,
When without pity the great reaper comes
To snatch away old, young, sick and the healthy!
The hour’s unknown to both the poor and wealthy.
So watch and pray!

6 Oh watch and pray, and beg to be awaiting
And ready when Jesus meets you instating
In judgement, for the Lord’s fields now are white.
It may be now the last time that he’s calling,
It’s unknown when the Lord’s return’s befalling;
So watch and pray!

7 Oh watch and pray, that your faith’s lamp keep burning,
And your hearts by faith in the Lord keep yearning,
And for his fast return in glory’s train.
Oh hear what Jesus comes to ask us pleading,
As he says to me and us all acceding:
Oh watch and pray!

[Thomas McElwain]

10  8.7.8.7.7.7.8.8

1 Stop already, you poor sinner,
Check your pathway in the light,
While your conscience yet beginner
Is still tender to the right.
If you harden yet your heart,
You’ll fall to sin’s sleeping dart,
Just to perish in the rising
Of sin at life’s end surprising.

2 You think that your way’s a right one,
Though it is the path to hell.
You think that God’s mercies light one
Sunk in sin’s deceitful spell.
You may trust in Christ alone,
Claiming faith without a moan
To give up the world intending
Nor turn from Satan’s way wending.

3 Alas! Your mind is unchanging,
Turning not toward the Lord,
Conscience without guidance ranging,
Heart harder than steel of sword.
When the Lord is calling you,
Laying His chidings in view,
You are like a robber fleeing
In your faith of knowledge being.

4 Your one god’s the very devil,
From whom you seek happiness,
Your heaven is the earth made level,
To it turns your lusts’ address.
Pride of eyes and pride of heart,
Lust of flesh, whore monger’s part,
Filthy speaking, filthy thinking,
Such are the pleasures you’re drinking.

5 If to church you’re sometimes coming
Where the Lord’s Word’s preached aloud,
You close your heart to its humming,
Sink to slumber with the crowd,
Hurry from the church to sin,
Back in vanities to win,
Back to eating, drinking, dancing,
Mocking God in all that prancing.

6 Once a year you take to calling
On the Lord by tongue and lip.
Even then your lusts appalling
Only serve in Satan’s grip,
Who is owner of your heart,
Because you will not depart
From the slough in which you wallow
To the cross of Christ to follow.

7 God’s Word is for you a mocking,
The heart works by grace as well,
Dearer is your wicked stalking,
Sold’s your Lord to the world’s spell.
You deride the Lord’s own folk.
You take it as just a joke,
When they turn from sin seducing
And the things the world’s producing.

8 You pretend that grace you’re learning,
And the hope of heaven take,
Just as long as you keep earning
Earthly things you want to rake.
You would always love the earth
And sometimes give God His worth,
Just as long as He’s defending
Your peace and never offending.

9 No one can come into heaven
Bringing with him all his sin.
It’s a vain hope you’ve been given
Of the Christ you believe in.
Under the Lord’s judgment seat
You are doomed in your defeat,
If you do not come repenting
Of the life you are presenting.

10 Once more the Lord’s word is calling,
It reveals your wickedness.
Hold it dearer, stop your stalling
In your deceitful distress.
Wake and know yourself at last,
Beg the Lord’s help in the blast,
So your mind you do not harden
To destruction and not pardon.

[Mansipaani]

Keskeinen sisältö on saatu hienosti runomitassa esille, pidän myös. Näistähän voisi laatia laulukirjan nuotteineen...

[armonkerjäläinen]

Hienoa Thomas! Nyt ameriikoissakin asuvat körttiläisten jälkeläiset saavat mahdollisuuden veisailla esi-isiensä virsiä omalla kielellään.