Entre Tus Manos

"Entre Tus Manos" is one of my favorite songs right now. It is one of the songs that Coro Latino (the Spanish Choir at my parish) has taught me in the past year. When they first taught it to me, there was something kind of familiar about it, and, after researching it a bit, I discovered why.

When I was a kid, I went to the guitar mass at my parish. Not the "folk group" mass, but one guy and a guitar. He used to do this song in English. In English it is known as "Into your Hands" and the composer is Ray Repp.

I really think this song has fallen into the "baby-with-the-bathwater" category with me in recent years, as I discovered the joys of early music, chant, polyphony and the classics. Not all music written since Vatican II is without merit. And this song is one such reminder to me.

I made Coro Latino translate it for me a long time ago and I kind of got the gist of the lyrics. It doesn't precisely match up with the English version of the song. And, I think it sings better in Spanish. And, somehow, the words have more to say than the English does. This then, is my attempt to make the lyrics into something that can be understood. (But please, understand that I do not speak Spanish, so this could be pretty lame.)

Entre Tus Manos - Ray Repp

Entre tus manos está mi vida Señor,entre tus manos todo mi existir. Hay que morir para vivir, entre tus manos confío mi ser. Si el grano de trigo no muere, si no muere sólo quedará, pero si muere en abundancia dará un fruto nuevo que no morirá. Hay que morir para vivir, entre tus manos confío mi ser.

My life is in your hands, Lord. In your hands is my whole existence. One must die to live, In trust, I place my whole self into your hands. If the grain of wheat does not die, if does not die, it will only remain a grain of wheat, But if it dies, it will give generously A new fruit that will not die. One must die to live, In trust, I place my whole self into your hands.

It is interesting to note that, while this song is almost completely about "I", it is about uniting one's self to the passion and sacrifice of Christ. Because of that, I find that the lyrics do not bother me. I could be way off base here... What do you think?

(For your reference:)
Into Your Hands - The Official English Translation: (which I do not care for)
Into your hands we commend our spirits, O Lord
Into your hands we commend our hearts
For we must die to ourselves in loving you
Into your hands we commend our love

1- O God, My God,Why have you gone from me Far from my prayers, far from my cry To you I call, but you never answer me You send no comfort and I don't know why

2- Our fathers trusted and delivered them To you they cry, and they escaped In you they trusted when darkness came their way And in your goodness you made them free

3- You've been my guide since I was very young You showed the way when I needed someone's hand But now I'm lonely, nobody is at my side Stay near my Lord, and be my friend.

Words and Music for "Entre tus Manos" and "Into Your Hands" copyright 1966 by Ray Repp