The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #47935   Message #717496
Posted By: Haruo
26-May-02 - 03:48 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Navy Hymn / Eternal Father Strong to Save
Subject: Lyr Add: ALMIGHTY FATHER STRONG TO SAVE
Actually, Allan, the "new verses" you refer to might possibly be those given as vv. 2&3 in Hope Publishing Co.'s Hymns for the Living Church, no. 2 "Almighty Father, Strong to Save", which also appear as no. 579 in the Episcopal Hymnal 1982. Hope gives Hymnal 1940 as a source, but also A Missionary Service Book, 1937, and they add in a footnote "By permission of the Church Pension Fund", which is the publisher of the Episcopal Church's hymnals). However, in Hymnal 1982 there is no indication that the text is still under copyright. And Hymnal 1982 does attribute the second and third stanzas to Robert Nelson Spencer (1877-1961). Anyhow, here is the text in Hymns for the Living Church:
  1. Almighty Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
    Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep:
    O hear us when we cry to Thee For those in peril on the sea.
  2. O Christ, the Lord of hill and plain O'er which our traffic runs amain
    By mountain pass or valley low; Wherever, Lord, Thy brethren go,
    Protect them by Thy guarding hand From every peril on the land.
  3. O Spirit, whom the Father sent To spread abroad the firmament;
    O Wind of heaven, by Thy might Save all who dare the eagle's flight,
    And keep them by Thy watchful care From every peril in the air.
  4. O Trinity of love and power, Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
    From rock and tempest, fire and foe, Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
    Thus evermore shall rise to Thee Glad prise from air and land and sea.
Maybe Susan has a Hymnal 1940 around and can check whether this version appears there, as Hope implies. Also, FWIW, Hymnal 1980 also includes the traditional Navy Hymn stanzas, at no. 608.

The Esperanto version (tr. Leonard I. Gentle), of the original Whiting stanzas, is not yet in my online hymnal (which I suppose I shall have to move off of Geocities sometime soon; they's messin' wid me) but is #119 in Gentle's Esperanta Himnaro (Londono, 1985):
  1. Eterna Patro, vivdonant', De la marondoj la regant',
    La profundaĵojn regas vi Kaj la marlimojn vidas ni;
    Ho aŭdu krion sur la ter' Pro surmaruloj en danĝer'.
  2. Ho Kristo per la Dia far' Kalmiĝis ventoj kaj la mar'.
    Vi marŝis sur la ondoŝvel', Kaj dormis eĉ dum ŝtormopel';
    Ho aŭdu krion sur la ter' Pro surmaruloj en danĝer'.
  3. Ho Di-Spirito, ŝvebis vi Kaj praĥaoson ŝanĝis Di',
    Tumultoj ĉesis, eĥis spac', Fariĝis lumo, vivo, pac';
    Ho aŭdu krion sur la ter' Pro surmaruloj en danĝer'.
  4. Ho Triunuo, via far' Protektu homojn sur la mar',
    La amo ŝirmu kaj potenc' En cirkonstanco aŭ atenc'
    Aŭdiĝu daŭre ĉe homar' Dankpsalmoj sur kaj land' kaj mar'.
The fact that I haven't put it in my hymnal reflects my lack of high regard for the translation. It is not one of Mr. Gentle's better pieces. However, if for some reason one needed to sing a bit of doggerel on basically the same theme to the same tune and with rhymes appropriately placed, it would serve. De mortuis and all that, but still...

Liland