SÅTBE FANLIHENGAN-MÅME

1. Såtbe fanlihengan-måme, gefsaga yan guaiyayon
(Hail, our shelter, comfortable and lovable)

Bendise ham, Sainan-måme;
bendise ham, bendise ham, bendise ham, Sainan-måme, yo'ase' na Korason!
(Bless us, our Lord, merciful Heart!)

2. Såtbe inangokkon-måme gi mahatot na pasion
(Hail, our hope in the bitter passion)

3. Såtbe i binaban-måme i sume'se' hao halom
(Hail, our opening which pierced you through)

4. Iyo-mo i anten-måme yan todo i korason
(Yours are our souls and all our hearts)

NOTES

To understand this hymn, one must have some understanding of Catholic piety.

The heart of Jesus is seen as the locus of His love for us; divine, human, total and perfect love which sacrifices itself for our salvation.

In that heart we find all safety, protection, comfort (verse 1).

Because that heart was pierced by a soldier's lance, it is open (verse 3). Open so that all its loving and saving contents can spill out over us; open so that we enter in and find shelter there.

Thus the hymn speaks of the Heart of Jesus as our shelter (fanlihengan). It is a place of spiritual comfort (gefsaga). The Heart of Jesus suffered yet was not destroyed, so we too can go through life's sufferings with Jesus and emerge victorious. Thus His Heart is our hope in times of bitter passion (verse 2).

In response, we give back to Jesus our own souls and hearts (verse 4).