"All music comes from God."

兩個月前為好朋友的婚禮而寫的, 終於有機會 post 在這兒分享一下. =)

先求祢的國

讓我先求祂國和義
尋主喜悅心意
主, 我的主說, 若你願意靠緊
這些東西都加給你.

活著乃不是單靠糧食與水
是靠主的話牽引
靈內的飢渴獨祢能夠滿足
我心渴慕晝夜想祢.

問, 定會給你, 定會令你富足
找, 必找得見
門為你開, 只要你願意去敲
太多祝福, 一一給你.

主, 讓我擺上信靠祢的心
靠主腳步向前行
用我一生去頌讚祢名字
哈利路, 哈利路亞.

– June 30, 2010

***

Credits: This all-time classic was written by Karen Lafferty in 1972.

One day back in June, I was sitting around and just thinking: “I haven’t written any Chinese lyrics in a long while!” So I started thinking what song I can give it a shot, and as I was thinking that, this song just came to mind. I started ‘singing’ it in my mind and became so moved by it, so then I started writing a couple of Chinese lines for it and was planning to finish it up later. A few days later, I received an e-mail from a friend asking me if I could write Chinese lyrics for exactly this song for her wedding! I was *shocked* to read her e-mail, really. I guess God really wanted to remind me the lyrics in this song. I always feel that He wanted to remind me certain lyrics and the meanings in them whenever He moved me to write certain songs.

The Original Lyrics:

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
Hallelu, Hallelujah!

Man shall not live by bread alone
But by every word
That proceeds from the mouth of God
Hallelu, Hallelujah!

Ask and it shall be given unto you
Seek and ye shall find
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you
Hallelu, Hallelujah!

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart
He shall direct thy paths
In all thy ways acknowledge Him
Hallelu, Hallelujah!

In case you are interested, here is a nice interview with the composer!
http://www.reformedworship.org/magazine/article.cfm?article_id=263

You may download the score (with chords and lyrics) here:
Download 先求祢的國

這也是為朋友的婚禮寫的! 但這首譯意不譯音.

何等美麗

美麗是那雙謙卑服侍的手
美麗是主的杯和餅和天地孩兒
美麗是那雙腳
踏過步向十架的漫漫長路
美麗是, 美麗是, 美麗是基督的身體.

美麗是那顆傷透的心
擔當我一切的罪
美麗是那雙溫柔的眼睛
充滿著寬恕, 從不厭棄
美麗是, 美麗是, 美麗是基督的身體.

祂把最寶貴的生命擺上
就讓我們也奉獻自己作回應
承諾活出基督的精神
甘願犧牲付代價
甘願犧牲付代價.

美麗是漂亮動人的新娘
眼裡閃出基督的光, 等待著新郎
美麗是當謙卑的心願意付出
單純真摰的愛使人得生命
美麗是, 美麗是, 美麗是基督的身體.

美麗是那雙腳
帶著福音和我王的愛跑過來
美麗是那雙謙卑服侍的手
美麗是主的杯和餅和天地孩兒
美麗是, 美麗是, 美麗是基督的身體.

– June 30, 2010

How Beautiful

How beautiful the hands that served
The wine and the bread and the sons of the earth
How beautiful the feet that walked
The long dusty road and the hill to the cross
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

How beautiful the heart that bled
That took all my sins and bore it instead
How beautiful the tender eyes
That choose to forgive and never despise
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

And as He lay down His life
We offer this sacrifice
That we will live just as He died
Willing to pay the price
Willing to pay the price

How beautiful the radiant bride
Who waits for her groom with His light in her eyes
How beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure love so that others may live
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

How beautiful the feet that bring
The sound of good news and the love of the King
How beautiful the hands that serve
The wine and the bread and the sons of the Earth
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

***

Credits: Written by Twila Paris Wright, who is a Texan!

當曲終詞盡
我放低所有
定睛於我主

只想給祢最真
沒有裝飾的我
一首簡潔的歌

我唱的歌再動聽
亦算不得敬拜
祢看我豈只這些
祢看我心深處的
每個心思意念
遠超於一切歌聲

敬拜祢　本無其他的主角
唯祢是我主
唯祢是我的所有
不僅口唱還心裡附和
讓我晝夜敬奉
讓我手潔心清　獻給祢

讓我晝夜敬奉
讓我手潔心清　獻給祢

– October 17, 2009

***

Credits: The Heart of Worship, one of the greatest hits around the world, was written by the prolific songwriter Matt Redman – a name that anybody who is even slightly into Contemporary Christian music has heard of.

This song has a cool story behind it. You may read about it here:
http://www.crosswalk.com/1253122/

Since BCEC’s church-wide theme for the new year (as well as J2’s) is 全人敬拜 (for J2, 敬拜者的心), I feel like re-writing “The Heart of Worship” in my own language. Somehow I am very excited about this piece, even more so than the others that I have written in the past.

I am looking forward to learning more about worship in the coming year! Looking forward to seeing “worship” in a new perspective, under a new light, and experiencing God in a new way.

“Something happens when the people of God gather together and play out the praises of God in the presence of God.” – Matt Redman

You may download the score (with chords and lyrics) here:
Download 敬拜者的心

我的心　交給主　請改變我
我每日　每一分　每一刻　都給予祢
讓我可　將一切都甘心樂意交給祢
讓你塑造　讓祢改變　更像祢

用信心來走　不擔心不退後
像我主耶穌　跟主的腳蹤
遇困境攔阻　我的心　亦有盼望
皆因祢　遮風擋雨　抱著我

– September 28, 2009

***

I was sitting at the piano one day and out of nowhere just started playing this song, and then I thought, “Oh this sounds quite good, let me write it down.” So then I wrote down the melody and started filling in some lyrics for it. I wanted the lyrics to tell a story about offering. As I wrote and revised the song, it has become a song about offering ourselves to God and letting Him take control of our lives because we know we are in good Hands. Something worth mentioning is: I took a couple hours to write this song (both melody and lyrics) and took several days to fill in the last line of the lyrics. Somehow the last line did not come quickly and smoothly. The first draft of this song had 用祢大能托住我 as the last line. In the end, after days of pondering about it, I have decided that I really like the image of 遮風擋雨, as well as 抱著我, which in my mind has a subtle allusion to the story “Footprints,” a favorite story of mine. I felt very happy after putting an end to the song with this final line.

Special thanks to Steve who arranged the song and made a demo of it for me. His arrangement has breathed magic into an otherwise trivial melody. Also, thanks to Steve for kindly offering inputs in the melody and rhythm in various parts of the song.

You may download the score (with chords and lyrics AND MELODY!) here:
Download 交給祢

(Verse 1)
靜靜降下
為俗世驅黑暗
讓我張開心眼看清祢
亮麗的祢　令我心深嚮往
願意一生一世靠緊祢

(Verse 2)
萬物的主
來為我捨身釘死
放低祢尊貴的冠冕
謙卑到來
全為我這罪人
我怎配得起祢的愛

(Chorus)
我在這裡高歌
我在這裡敬拜
傾出心意高舉祢的名
祢配受頌揚歌聲
配得一切讚美
我高聲宣告祢是我的神

(Bridge)
無論我跌倒多少次
十架替我洗清污穢
沒法解釋內心的安慰
祢明瞭我心我一切

– August 28, 2009

***

Credits: This world-famous worship song was originally written by Tim Hughes.

The Chinese lyrics was written within a 45-minute train ride from MGH to Allston. I remember holding my pen and notebook when I was sitting through the B line. Though the T was crowded, I almost couldn’t resist humming and singing the lyrics out loud, as I was enjoying myself in my own little world. It was a magical experience to have come up with the lyrics in such a short period of time. I couldn’t have done it if it were not our Father who put the inspirations in my heart.

You may download the score (with chords and lyrics) here:
Download 我在這裡敬拜

求臨我心　每當我困倦疲軟
重擔患憂常抑壓我心炊
讓我安心的專主禱告等候
今我願靜心躺於祢護蔭

祢扶助我　讓我經得起風浪
祢鼓舞我　讓我緊緊跟主腳蹤
我勇敢　攀登千山走過深海
全因祢令我超於我限制

祢明白我　我可安撫於祢肩上
祢激發我　不怕艱辛不退縮
我堅忍　越過種種挑戰阻礙
全因我主　祢加給我一切

– August 23, 2009

***

Credits: This song was originally written by Rolf Lovland, famously performed by Josh Groban.

The first time I heard “You Raise Me Up” was from here:

It moved me beyond words could explain. This performance was amazing with the African children choir, as well as the string instruments on the background. This also made me first learned about Josh Groban. I have since then fallen in love with his voice and listened to many of his other songs and albums. You know how sometimes you listen to a song all the time during a certain period of your life, and then later even when you have well passed that period, whenever you listen to the song again, that period of your life would immediately come to mind. Listening to the song again would elicit emotions… emotions that bring you back to that era in your life. You almost feel like you are there all over again, wherever you were. I first learned about this song (and fell most deeply in love with it) when I was in Wisconsin last year. It was a period when I felt quite lonely at times, and this song, and these English lyrics, went through that time in life with me. Now whenever I listen to this song, Wisconsin always comes to mind, and random bits and pieces of flashback from my time there would appear in the mind. haha isn’t that funny?

You may download the score (with chords and lyrics) here:
Download 是祢鼓舞我

世間一切
祢知曉
各種憂傷痛苦困倦愁煩
沒法解釋
是祢安撫我心
每每有祢我深知祢是王

宏宏山峰中
緩緩溪水
晴天陰天是祢不掉棄我
漫漫長路
誰又會想起我麼
獨祢愛我比天高比海深

(副歌)
在十架
流盡血犧牲
祢為著我
嘗盡各種艱辛
甘心去
擔當我罪名
孤苦受痛
仍顧念我
是祢

– June 26, 2007

***

Credits: “Above All” was cowritten by Lenny LeBlanc and Paul Baloche. The song was nominated for Song of the Year in both the 2002 and 2003 Dove Awards, and in 2002, Michael Smith’s recording of the song won Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year.

I wrote 誰會記得我 two summers ago. It was a quiet and uneventful summer. Somehow at some point during that summer, I felt rather ‘left out’ and forgotten, by everyone in general. This song was written at a time when I felt that: when the whole world has forgotten about me, God remembers. And only He does. He remembers me and cares about me. When nobody would think of me, He would. And then it just so happened that the melody of this song really hit me at that time; the way it was performed in the “Top 25 Praise and Worship Songs 2007” album really touched my heart, so I decided to write my own lyrics with it, use it to hold my feelings. For the most part, I did not try to translate from the English lyrics. The Chinese lyrics for this song didn’t really mean to be a translation. It was just how I felt about the song, my own experience of this music.

You may download the score (with chords and lyrics) here:
Download 誰會記得我

我從前珍愛　畢生當作寶
爭鬥和擁有　沒甚麼意義
舊我得到的　今我看作土
比起祢的愛　沒可媲美

(副歌)
認識祢　主啊　找到祢
無一比這更好
我一切　我所有
我心全都屬於祢
我的主耶穌

此刻我只想　擁抱祢名字
宣告我一生　屬於主祢
用信心領受　給我賜救恩
信實源於祢　我不配受

主大能彰顯　犧牲為我死
獨自來這裡　受苦為誰
願我跟主走　得自由再生
復活永不死　像主一般

– November 2006

***

Credits: This song, “Knowing You” (also known as “All I Once Held Dear”), was written by Graham Kendrick. He once said the idea of this song came from words penned by the Apostle Paul while in jail, waiting for execution. “It touches the head and heart of the follower of Jesus Christ, because it lifts up our best friend as the most important ‘thing’ in our lives.”

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” – Philippians 3:7-11

***

As I’ve shared in the “Purpose and Vision” page, this song pretty much started my whole “Lyrics for God” project and journey, so it has a very special place in my heart. =)

Special thanks to ah Bea who has made a demo of this song for me with her moving piano music and God-given beautiful voice.

You may download the score (with chords and lyrics) here:
Download 從前所珍愛