KÅNTAN GUMA'YU'US : GOF MÅ'GAS HAO

 

When I was a priest in Saipan from 1991 to 1994, Chamorro was my main language of daily communication. It was there that I got into a Chamorro-translating phase, putting at least a dozen church hymns into Chamorro, mostly from Spanish hymns. A few I taught to my choir and one or two songs caught on, at least for a while.

But somehow the thought came to me translate an English Protestant hymn, How Great Thou Art, into Chamorro. It is said that How Great Thou Art is the second best-known English hymn, after Amazing Grace. I think in the Marianas How Great Thou Art is not that well-known.

But, the music moves me, and the lyrics are not in opposition to Catholic teaching, and I would be translating it freely anyway, meaning changing things up a little, mostly in order to match the musical notation. In the end, I inserted a line about the Blessed Mother, so the hymn became Catholic!

For the Chamorro title, I rendered "How great thou art," which is four syllables, as "Gof må'gas hao," also four syllables, which literally means, "You are very great."

Gof Må'gas Hao is the one hymn I've translated that is still sung here and there. From my one parish in Saipan, it spread to other Saipan parishes and then to Guam. I just heard it sung the other day by a choir in Santa Rita.

Here is one of Guam's top vocalists, Ruby Aquiningoc Santos, singing two verses of the song which, in Chamorro, is Gof Må'gas Hao (You are Very Great). She is assisted by Lawrence Perez Borja.

LYRICS

Saina Yu’us hågo muna’ fan huyong

(Oh Lord God you created)

I tano’ yan todo i guinahå-ña.

(the earth and all that it contains.)

I atdao yan i pilan yan puti’on

(The sun, the moon and stars)

Muna’ annok i metgot kanai-mo.

(show forth your mighty hand.)

Refrain

Pues i anti-ho kumantåye hao :

(So sings my soul to you : )

Gof må’gas hao! Gof må’gas hao!

(You are very great! You are very great!)

Hu li’e’ i flores siha gi tano’

(I see the flowers on the earth)

I ekso’ yan i taddong na tåse.

(the hills and the deep sea.)

Hu tuna hao pot todo i che’cho’-mo

(I praise you for all your works)

Hu guaiya hao, sa’ un gof guaiya yo’.

(I love you, for you have truly loved me.)

Ya un deside para un fa’tinas

(And you decided to make)

Hame ni taotao i imahen-mo.

(Us, the people, your image.)

Un pega ham para u pulan maolek

(You placed us to watch over well)

Todo i nina’huyong-mo siha.

(All your creation.)                                                                      

Ya annai poddong i taotao-mo siha

(And when your people fell)

Ya man abak gi chachalan-ñiha,

(and lost their way,)

Un na’ hånao i mames na Lahi-mo

(You sent your sweet Son)

Para u såtba ham ni man isao.

(to save us sinners.)

Puede ha’ mo’n i langet bai hanaogue

(Would that to heaven I shall go)

Ya guihe bai hu sen adora hao.

(and there will truly adore you.)

Gi fi’on i Bithen Sånta Maria

(Alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Bai hu kånta : Saina, gof må’gas hao!

(I will sing : Lord, you are very great!)