Mexico Sings Praise

In honour of Mexican Independence, we’ll be singing all-Mexican songs in the service this morning!  (Yes, it will be a strange sight – a Canadian leading an all-Mexican music worship time!)  I thought I’d share a couple of the songs I’ve been looking at with you.  So I’m posting one now, and I’ll post another tonight.

This isn’t one we’re singing, but it’s one we may read.  This is from at least a generation or two ago, written by Fidentina Z. de Díaz.  It may have been intended as a children’s song.

Here’s the Spanish, then I’ll attempt a fairly literal translation.

Te damos gracias, Dios, por nuestra amada patria
Que alumbras con tu sol y con tus mares bañas.
La luz primera aquí pudimos contemplar;
Que en ella brille al fin la luz de tu verdad.

Oh Padre Celestial, bendice a nuestra patria;
Concédele tu paz, otórgale tu gracia;
Que pueda prosperar en rectitud y bien,
Y a Cristo proclamar por Salvador y Rey.

Oh Heavenly Father, bless our Fatherland
Grant it Your peace, bestow on it Your grace
So that it may prosper in Your righteousness and goodness
And proclaim that Christ is Saviour and King.

*Fatherland is a bit of an iffy translation in my opinion, because it sounds a lot different in English than patria sounds in Spanish.  It could be translated country, Homeland or even Motherland, but I kept Fatherland to contrast with our Father in Heaven in the second verse – He is the true Father of every nation, in a sense.