Myron Eells’s hymn book (Part 6 “God’s Omniscience”)
Song #6 from Myron Eells’s little book, “Hymns in the Chinook Jargon Language“, 2nd (expanded!) edition (Portland, OR: David Steel, 1889):
(Here’s a link to all installments in this mini-series.)
Today’s Eells tune, “Harwell” / “Hark! Ten Thousand Harps”, is one that I hadn’t known before:
Image credit: Hymnary.org
I’ll give my own translation of the Chinook words — then, below, is Eells’s offering of what they say — so you can compare.
GOD’S OMNISCIENCE.
No.6. Tune, “Harwell.”
1. Saghalie Tyee, yaka seahost (sáx̣ali-táyí yaka siyáxus(t) ‘God’s eyes’)
Nanitch skookum konway kah. (nánich skúkum kʰánawi-qʰá ‘see strongly everywhere.’)
Repeat both lines.Chorus —
Pe wake kunjih nika ipsoot (pi wik-qʰánchix̣ nayka ípsət ‘And I’ll never be hidden’)
Kopa yaka seahost. (kʰupa yaka siyáxus(t) ‘from his eyes.’)
Repeat both lines.2. Kah kopet ikt tillikum mitlite, (qʰá(x̣) kʰəpít-íxt tílixam míłayt, ‘Where just one person is,)
Yahwa yaka seahost. (yáwá yaka siyáxus(t) ‘there his eyes are.’)
Chorus —3. Kah kopet ikt man kapswalla, (qʰá(x̣) kʰəpít-íxt mán kapshwála, ‘Where just one man steals,’)
Yahwa yaka seahost. (yáwá yaka siyáxus(t) ‘there his eyes are.’)
Chorus —4. Kah ikt man kliminwhit wawa, (qʰá íxt mán t’łəmínxwət-wáwa, ‘Where one man tells lies,’)
Yahwa, etc. (yáwá yaka siyáxus(t) ‘there his eyes are.’)
Chorus —5. Kah ikt tillikum muckamuck whiskey, (qʰá íxt tílixam mə́kʰmək wíski, ‘Where one person drinks alcohol,’)
Yahwa, etc. (yáwá yaka siyáxus(t) ‘there his eyes are.’)
Chorus —6. Kah hiyu polaklie mitlite, (qʰá háyú púlakʰli míłayt, ‘Where there’s much darkness,’)
Yahwa, etc. (yáwá yaka siyáxus(t) ‘there his eyes are.’)
Chorus —7. Kopa nika tumtum kwanesum, (kʰupa nayka tə́mtəm kwánsəm, ‘In my heart always,’)
Yahwa, etc. (yáwá yaka siyáxus(t) ‘there his eyes are.’)
Chorus —
TRANSLATION.
- God’s eyes
Sec strong everywhere;
Chorus —
And never can I be concealed
From his eyes.2, Where there is only one person,
There are his eyes.3. Where only one man steals,
There are his eyes.4. Where one man tells lies,
There are his eyes.5. Where one person drinks whiskey,
There, etc.6. Where it is very dark,
There, etc.7. In my mind always,
There, etc.
Yet again, Eells has departed 100% from the original English-language hymn. Here are lyrics to “Harwell”, very different from the above:
1 Hark! ten thousand harps and voices
Sound the note of praise above;
Jesus reigns and heav’n rejoices,
Jesus reigns, the God of love:
See, He sits on yonder throne;
Jesus rules the world alone,
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.2 King of glory, reign forever,
Thine an everlasting crown;
Nothing from Thy love shall sever
Those whom Thou hast made Thine own:
Happy objects of Thy grace,
Destined to behold Thy face.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.3 Saviour, hasten Thine appearing;
Bring, O bring the glorious day,
When, the awful summons bearing,
Heav’n and earth shall pass away;
Then, with golden harps we’ll sing,
“Glory, glory to our King!”
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.
As always, Eells has created a very, very simple, and nicely fluent, set of lyrics here.
Are you as fascinated as I am, though, that he really didn’t bother with actual translating?
Myron Eells’s preaching in Chinook Jargon looks like the actions of a guy who figured,
(A) you gotta make use of the Native people’s real-world experiences, and
(B) avoid any possible confusion that would come with complicated lessons about what the Bible, or White-people hymns, actually say.
Make of that what you will.
