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| Most people know "Three Bells" from the Browns - Ed and his sisters Maxine and Bonnie. |
Here is the original song in French, with English subtitles. Embedding was disabled.
The Browns version:
There's a village hidden deep in the valley
Among the pine trees half forlorn
And there on a sunny morning
Little Jimmy Brown was born
All the chapel bells were ringing
In the little valley town
And the songs that they were singing
Were for baby Jimmy Brown.
Then the little congregation
Prayed for guidance from above
Lead us not into temptation,
Bless this hour of meditation
Guide him with eternal love.
There's a village hidden deep in the valley
Beneath the mountains high above
And there, twenty years thereafter
Jimmy was to meet his love
All the chapel bells were ringing,
Was a great day in his life
Cause the songs that they were singing
Were for Jimmy and his wife.
Then the little congregation
Prayed for guidance from above
Lead us not into temptation,
Bless oh Lord this celebration
May their lives be filled with love.
From the village hidden deep in the valley
One rainy morning dark and gray
A soul winged its way to heaven
Jimmy Brown had passed away.
Just a lonely bell was ringing
In the little valley town
Twas farewell that it was singing
To our good old Jimmy Brown.
And the little congregation
Prayed for guidance from above
Lead us not into temptation,
May his soul find the salvation
Of thy great eternal love"
But here is the French - quite different:
Village au fond de la vallée,
comme égaré, presqu'ignoré.
Voici qu'en la nuit étoilée
Un nouveau-né nous est donné.
Jean-Franois Nicot il se nomme.
Il est joufflu, tendre et ros.
A l'glise, beau petit homme, At the church, fine little man
demain tu seras baptis. Tomorrow you will be baptized.
Une cloche sonne, sonne.
Sa voix, d'cho en cho,
dit au monde qui s'tonne:
"C'est pour Jean-Franois Nicot.
C'est pour accueillir une me,
une fleur qui s'ouvre au jour,
peine, peine une flamme
encore faible qui rclame
protection, tendresse, amour."
Village au fond de la valle,
loin des chemins, loin des humains.
Voici qu'aprs dix-neuf annes,
cur en moi, le Jean-Franois
prend pour femme la douce Elise,
blanche comme fleur de pommier.
Devant Dieu, dans la vieille glise,
ce jour, ils se sont maris.
Toutes les cloches sonnent, sonnent,
Leurs voix, d'cho en cho,
merveilleusement couronnent
la noce Franois Nicot.
"Un seul cur, une seule me", Only one heart, one soul
dit le prtre, "et, pour toujours, Says the priest, and for always.
soyez une pure flamme
qui s'lve et qui proclame
la grandeur de votre amour."
Village au fond de la valle.
Des jours, des nuits, le temps a fui.
Voici qu'en la nuit toile,
un cur s'endort, Franois est mort,
car toute chair est comme l'herbe,
elle est comme la fleur des champs.
Epis, fruits mrs, bouquets et gerbes,
hlas! vont en se desschant...
Une cloche sonne, sonne,
elle chante dans le vent.
Obsdante et monotone,
elle redit aux vivants:
"Ne tremblez pas, curs fidles,
Dieu vous fera signe un jour.
Vous trouverez sous son aile
avec la vie ternelle
l'ternit de l'amour."
***
GJ - Most people can see the difference as they look at the American version and then the French. Imagine trying to sell the song with a literal translation to the Southern Babtist and Pentecostal South.
Nothing makes them see red faster than infant baptism and a priest.
The eloquence and charm has been Cracker Barreled out of the lyrics, turning original poetry into "Good Old Jimmy Brown."
This is precisely what the NIV sought to accomplish with its classic edition in 1984 - take away the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion.
Once that was established, the New NIV began the wholesale slaughter of the truth by introducing Universalism - UOJ in Paul's letter to the Romans. That is like serving pork, lobster, and shrimp at the Seder Meal.
The Reformation took the entertainment style Mass away from the papacy and returned the Means of Grace to its proper place - as full participation worship, the congregation confessing its faith in words and song. The historic liturgy features a back and forth with the pastor, a balance of Word and Sacrament, with each part relating to justification by faith.
Now the pea-brains of the Synodical Conference have pushed, promoted, and funded a return of the entertainer on the stage. Martin Chemnitz described the papal mass as a combination of drama and hysterics, turning it into a tragedy or farce.
Thus WELS, Missori, the Little Sect, and the CLC (sic) envy and emulate the Good Old Jimmy Brown form of worship practiced by the Assemblies of God. They erase what might offend and leave the Means of Grace an orphan.
