How Great Thou Art- True Malayalam translation and story of the song

HOW GREAT THOU ART!

The story of the world’s favorite hymn

(PLEASE SEE BELOW THE TRUE MALAYALAM TRANSLATION OF THE SONG )

            The hymn “How great Thou Art!” originated on the southeast coast of Sweden and traveled a long road over many years and across the globe to become one of the world’s favorite. The hymn is a top sacred of praise among God’s people. How Great Thou Art! has been voted as the nation’s favorite hymn, by the viewers of Song of Praise in Great Britain. In America, James Caldwell introduced the hymn at Stoney Brook Bible Conference, Long Island in 1951. Later, Elvis Presley recorded the hymn and the famous gospel singers Cliff Barrows and George Beverly Shea of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Team popularized it. The hymn was ranked second after “Amazing Grace” on a list of the favorite hymns of all time in a survey by Today’s Christian magazine in 2001.

            However, the origin of the hymn is closely associated with the life and works of a Swedish writer Carl Boberg and its English translator Stuart K. Hine. The original Swedish text entitled “O Store Gud,” (O Great God), based on the Bible scripture Psalm 145:3, “Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.” was written in 1886 by the Swedish pastor Carl Boberg. Boberg’s inspiration for the song came from a visit to a beautiful country estate on the southeast coast of Sweden. Boberg was walking home listening to the church bells. He encountered a midday thunderstorm with awe-inspiring moments of flashing violence and strong winds across the meadows, followed by a clear brilliant sun and a rainbow on the horizon. Then, he heard the calm, sweet songs of the birds in nearby tress. Nature was at its peak that radiant afternoon. Boberg sensed the power of God as in Psalm 29:7: “The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightening.”

            Upon his arrival at home, Boberg was amazed at the beauty and the richest coloring of the nature he saw through his window. This series of sights, sounds, and experiences inspired him to write the song “O Store Gud.” Boberg first published his song in a Swedish news magazine in 1886. The original eight verses with a Swedish folk song melody were sung for the first time in a church in the Swedish province of Varmland in 1888. More verses were added to the song later with the final version published in 1894.

            The first translation of the hymn was to German and became very popular in Germany. The Russian version appeared in 1912, produced by Ivan S. Prokhanov, the most prolific Protestant hymn writer and translator in all of Russia at that time. Gustav Johnson wrote the first literal English translation “O Mighty God” in 1925. However, Stuart K. Hine, a British missionary’s name is synonymous with the English translation of the hymn published in 1949.

            Stuart K. Hine first heard the Russian translation of the hymn while on a three hundred mile mission by bicycle to the Carpathian Mountains, a remote part of Ukraine to distribute Bibles. The inspiration for the hymn, especially the first verse came to him through the unforgettable experiences in those mountains. The first and second verses describe the ‘awesome wonder’, and beauty of God’s creation. The third verse of the hymn was written in response of villagers living high up in the mountains expressing their amazement at hearing the revelation of God’s love for the first time. Hines heard people calling out to God, saying how unbelievable it was that Christ would die for their own sins, and praising Him for His love and mercy. Hine encapsulated the sorrow and grief of refugees from Eastern Europe, separated from their loved ones in verse four. Here he reinforces their hope for a future reunion in Heaven, the life eternal.

            Hine’s version of O Store Gud (How Great Thou Art) became popular through the work of British missionaries in each country that it reached, especially in Africa and India. Dr. Edwin Orr, an American missionary discovered that the song being sung in a small village in India by a Naga tribe from Assam in 1937. Dr. Orr introduced the song to the Forest Home College-age Conference in 1938, where the song was sung each day. Tim Spencer, the founder of Manna Music purchased the rights of the song from Hines and made the song available free of charge. The first major American recording of the hymn was by Bill Carle in 1958. Later the 1950s Billy Graham Crusades popularized the song. The hymn became very popular at their crusade at Madison Square Garden, NY in 1957. They sang the song one hundred times during that campaign because the people would not let them stop. According to Rev. Billy Graham, the hymn glorifies and honors God and it turns Christian’s eyes toward God. In 1959, it became the theme of Billy Graham’s “Hour of Decision” weekly radio broadcast. George Beverly Shea’s (Billy Graham Crusade) recording of the hymn ranks number 204 on the top recordings of the 20^th century according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

            Elvis Presley’s recording revived the “O Store Gud” in Sweden. The song won Presley a Grammy Award for “Best Sacred Performance” in 1967, and another Grammy in 1974 for “Best Inspirational Performance (Non-Classical). The hymn has been translated into many languages. There have been over seventeen hundred documented recordings of “How Great Thou Art.” The hymn also has been used on major television programs, major motion pictures, and has been named as the favorite Gospel song of at least three United States presidents. In the mid 1970’s, “How Great Thou Art” received an award for one million performances on radio and television. In 1978, the hymn was named “The All-Time Outstanding Gospel Song” in America. Today millions across the world continue to sing this beautiful song.

            This hymn is special to me, very close to my heart. I am always amazed by the splendor and glory of God’s creations, the depth we are unable to fathom. In Psalm 19:1, King David sings, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” The beauty and grandeur of nature, the fierceness and majesty, the ever-changing seasons, the gentle breeze that refreshes and regenerates, helps me to lift up my heart to praise the Almighty. How great is my God, who would create such an amazing world for me to live in? Every time I step outside, or witness the revealing nature, my heart sings “How Great Thou Art”. The amazing joy that gives me is hard to describe. I have been thinking and praying to translate the song to Malayalam language for many years and it took approximately 3-4 years to present in the current form. You may download the song from this page (png file). You are welcome to send your comments about the hymn to abematt@gmail.com

“Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” Psalm 29:1-2.

Abraham Mathew, PhD, LCSW

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TRUE MALAYALAM TRANSLATION OF THE SONG
(You may download the png file)

GLORIFY THE LORD!!!!!

മഹോന്നത ദൈവം

എൻ നാഥനാം ദൈവം, മഹത്വം, സ്തുതി യോഗ്യൻ

എത്ര മനോഹരം തൻ കര സൃഷ്ടിയെല്ലാം

താരങ്ങൾ ശോഭിക്കുന്നു, മേഘങ്ങൾ ഗർജിജിക്കുന്നു

താതാ നിൻ ശക്തി വിളങ്ങുന്നു പാരിലെങ്ങും

                                        എൻ രക്ഷകനായ് എൻ ആത്മാവ് പാടീടുന്നു

                                        എത്ര മഹോന്നതൻ, എത്ര മഹോന്നതൻ (2)

കാടും വനാന്തര വീഥിയിൽ പോകുമ്പോൾ

കേൾക്കുന്നു പക്ഷികളിൻ മധുര സംഗീതവും

ഉത്തുoഗ ശൃoഗത്തിൽ, നിന്നു നോക്കിടുമ്പോൾ

തെന്നൽ തഴുകുന്നു, അരുവികൾ പാടീടുന്നു        (എൻ രക്ഷകനായ്)

എൻ ആത്മാവു കേഴുന്നു, താതൻ തൻ പുത്രനെ

എനിക്കായ് നൽകി ബലി യാഗമായി തീർന്നുവല്ലോ

കാൽവറി ക്രൂശതിൽ, പാപം കഴുകീടാനായ്   

തൂവി രക്തം തവ, സ്നേഹം ചൊരിഞ്ഞുവല്ലോ       ( എൻ രക്ഷകനായ്)

ജയഭേരിയോടെയെൻ കർത്തൻ വന്നീടുമ്പോൾ

ജയാളിയായിയെന്നെ കൂടെ ചേർത്തിടുമ്പോൾ

വന്ദിച്ചിടും ഞാൻ, ആരാധിച്ചിടും എന്നും

ഉച്ചത്തിൽ ആർത്തീടും എത്ര മഹോന്നതൻ           (എൻ രക്ഷകനായ്)