Posts tagged ‘research’
Are translations to English a problem?
The difficult process of translating songs
A few weeks ago a good friend of mine wrote these two articles:
Part 1: Synopsis of “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus”
Part 2: Synopsis of “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus”
The main purpose behind those articles was to emphasize how important it is to have songs that are theological strong. This means spending time in the Word, doing research, and often times, talking with your pastor.
But I wanted to give you a little more perspective on the song translation process. First, it’s a difficult process. I’ve spent many hours working with a translator just trying to get the words in another language to fit the rhythm of the song.
The second problem, which can appear after the lengthy process of translating, is that the translation isn’t as accurate as it was in the original language.
In the song “I have decided to follow Jesus” this is the case. Another friend of mine was nice enough to continue the research process about the song and found this translation of this familiar song into English.
isu-ni ja’man anga ja’rikgen (After Jesus I will follow) –3x
Re’piljawa, re’piljawa (Will not go back, will not go back)A’sak-ko wate, Chisol-ko de’e (Leaving the ways of the world, Carrying the cross) –3x
Re’piljawa, re’piljawa (Will not go back, will not go back)Darang re’jaoba, anga ja’rikgen (Though none go, I will follow) –3x
Re’piljawa, re’piljawa (Will not go back, will not go back)
This resonates with me a little better than the version that I know, which Luke mentioned in his article. And it’s really exciting to think about what song came from the Garo people after they realized they needed Christ. From these lyrics we can see they were COMMITTED.
The lesson here…
Whenever you’re translating a song into another language spend a lot of time working with your translator to make sure not only the same meaning and theology is conveyed, but also that the translation is accurate enough to convey those things.
Blog post by Peter Kihyun Park
© 2011, Peter Park. All rights reserved.
Transition: Stage One
I’ve spent the last few weeks investigating what the situation is at Bethel University. You see…my friend Luke will be leading worship during chapel services this coming Fall and Spring.
Bethel University is trying to move into a multicultural worship setting, but has struggled to do so.
(Bethel University is in Saint Paul, Minnesota, which is quite diverse, the students attending the school are primarily Caucasian. The staff there is diverse, however.)
Accessing the situation…
So far, I’ve asked specific questions about who will help lead worship this coming school year, what kind of music they are used to, and what they’re planning to do to cast the vision.
This means I’ve spent some time talking with my friend Luke and the campus pastor of worship. And this is a necessarily step, as you need to understand the heart of as many people involved in the process.
The plan so far…
Because the student body primarily listens to Contemporary Christian Music we will begin with that style of music. Luke has chosen 10 songs that are familiar to them.
Interestingly enough, Spanish is spoken widely amongst the staff. And there is a group of Hmong students attending the University as well.
So, from those 10 songs both Luke and I will split up the work and do song translations in both Spanish and Hmong.
Why start with familiar songs?
A lot of churches that want to transition into multicultural want to make the big step of being totally authentic.
Even at my church, Cross Cultural Evangelical, we needed to take baby steps. I think I can safely say that most of our congregation members were primarily familiar with Contemporary Christian Music and the hymns when we first started.
Luke will have the opportunity to lead 40 times during the school, which is quite a lot for a student. This will give him an opportunity to get the students used to the idea of multicultural worship with language. And as the school year progresses we can make stylistic changes too.
Lesson…
Whether you’re starting a church that’s intentionally multicultural or transitioning into one – everybody has adjustment period they need to go through. So, don’t necessarily think in terms of weeks or months, but think in terms of 5 years or more. And remember to do as much research with people before you get started.
After all, the plan is to reach the people in the neighborhood/campus and worship with them.
Share your story and your life…
Sincerely,
Peter Park
Blogger/Worship Leader/Speaker
peterpark@redemptionboulevard.com
(800) 453-3284
© 2010, Peter Park. All rights reserved.
Unreliable information
© 2010, Peter Park. All rights reserved.