Catholic Hymns in non-English languages

[agp2176]

I have recently begun a role as cantor at a new parish. While not an ethnic parish as such, many of the people are immigrants, so English is not their first language. In fact our pastor is Vietnamese… As this parish is in Canada, though not in Quebec, we have a small group of people whose first language is French. Apart from English, the languages spoken would be (in order of number of people), Italian, Philipino (Tagalog), French, Vietnamese.

I’d like to find a resource for hymns translated from English to these languages. What I am looking for exactly are well known traditional hymns a la, Immaculate Mary, Jesus Christ is Risen Today, Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee, Where Charity and Love Prevail, The Prayer of St Francis etc in those languages. Naturally, I’d wanted approved translations. Oh - and none of the modern stuff like ‘Ashes’.

I have some in French as found in the English Catholic Book of Worship III, and have some in Croatian from my previous parish.

Any advise would be appreciated

In the Peace of Christ!

Tony

 

[Phemie]

Here’s a link with some translated hymns.

hymntime.com/tch/non/fr/ilestne.htm

I must admit other than some Christmas Carols I’ve never heard any of those translated into French hymns sung in any church I’ve been in, not even before Vat. II. I know that “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today” is in French in the CBW II or III but I’ve never sung that, ever.

Since you are in Canada, there is an official French hymnal put out by the CCCB: D’une même voix.

It’s the official hymnal for the Francophone world as all French countries worked on it.

 

[Aran_Houlihan]

In my parish the only other language hymns we use are in Latin

: In nomine Patris, + et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Introibo ad altare Dei. R: Ad deum qui laetificat juventutem meam.

 

[ProVobis]

I’d like to find a resource for hymns translated from English to these languages. What I am looking for exactly are well known traditional hymns a la, Immaculate Mary, Jesus Christ is Risen Today, Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee, Where Charity and Love Prevail, The Prayer of St Francis etc in those languages. Naturally, I’d wanted approved translations. Oh - and none of the modern stuff like ‘Ashes’.

FWIW, you’ll probably find that many of the so-called English hymns have themselves been translated into English. Jesus Christ is Risen Today, for example, was a 14th century Latin carol. Immaculate Mary is a traditional Pyrenean melody. Where Charity is based on Ubi caritas. How Great Thou Art is based on a Swedish poem. And so forth.

I’m not sure there are “approved” translations, they are just more or less traditional.