NEW HOPE MUSIC - Igbo translations of songs by Ralph Merrifield

Our background MIDI is "Now Our God",
written by Ralph Merrifield,
performed by Rhesa Siregar (from Indonesia)

Igbo

Translated into the Igbo language
by my friend Chimka Ama-Kalu , from Nigeria

My career hasn't really blossomed to the extent of considering writing a biography, other than the fact that I was born in Enugu, then in the old Anambra State of Nigeria... My dad is now a retired inspector of the Nigerian Police Force.

I attended Nkwo-Ogbe Primary School (Primary One to Primary Six: 1980-1988) and St Jude's Secondary School (JSS1 to JSS3 : 1988-1990) both in Ihiala, Anambra State for my primary and junior secondary school education between between 1980 and 1990, before completing my Senior Secondary School education (SS1 to SS3: 1990-1993) in my village at Ututu/Ihe High School, Ihechiowa, in Abia State, Nigeria. Finally, the University of Lagos 1998-2005 with a B.Sc in Applied Physics & Electronics.

It is after university graduation that graduates often go for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) which pictures I have included for you, and of course, you already know of my deliverance from the pits of hell... by God's awesome and providential care during my NYSC year. And for that reason, I am purposed to do anything within my capacity to advance the course of music ministry by His grace. Amen. (written July 2008)

NOW OUR GOD ----------------------------------------- UGBU A CHINEKE ANYI

Now our God we give thanks to You -------------- Ugbua Chineke anyi, anyi n'ekele gi
for all the things You have done --------------------- n'ihi ihe nile I meworo
You've shown Your grace in so many ways ------- I gosiwo amara Gi n'otuto uzo
Your mercy and kindness and power --------------- ebere Gi na idi mma Gi na Ike Gi

We thank You, thank You, thank You Lord -------Anyi n'ekele Gi, ekele Gi, ekele diri Gi onye nwe anyi
We thank You, thank You, thank You Lord ------ Anyi n'ekele Gi, ekele Gi, ekele diri Gi onye nwe anyi

Verse 2) Love
Verse 3) Praise

Dear Ralph,

I must admit that the above translation is by no means a professional job. It is only a layman's approach to understanding the wordings of the song.

NOW = UGBUA

OUR GOD = CHINEKE ANYI

WE = ANYI

GIVE = NYE

YOU = GI

Hence, the first line could also have been rendered in this following manner: Ugbua Chineke anyi na enye Gi ekele OR Ugbua Chineke anyi, anyi n'enye Gi ekele.

Notice that the "a" in "na" could be omitted to join two words like: na ekele = n'ekele.

This is because in the actual pronouciation, the "a" often seem to be almost "swallowed" up by the following "e".

In trying to explain the above, I think I feel that a more appropriate way to render the word "GIVE" would ne "NYE"

You would however notice that in the bolded translation, I omitted one "anyi" This is because "Chineke" means "God", and "Anyi" means "We".

But in the Igbo language, the object/subject precedes it's adjective. That is why "OUR GOD" cannot be rendered as "ANYI CHINEKE"

Verse 2) Love = Ihunanya

Verse 3) Praise = Otito

Hence, we may have something like this for the verse two: Ugbua Chineke anyi, anyi enye Gi ihunanaya OR Ugbua Chineke anyi, anyi na enye Gi ihunanya OR Ugbua Chineke anyi, anyi na ahu Gi n'anya.

As said before, "Give" means "Nye". However, the act doing it, that is giving could be rendered as "na enye" or "n'enye" as I have said before that the "a" in "na" could be omitted with an inverted comma joining the two words.

for the chorus:

We love You, love You, love You Lord ----------------------------- Anyi huru Gi n'anya, huru Gi n'anya, huru Gi n'anya onye nwe anyi

We love You, love You, love You Lord ----------------------------- Anyi huru Gi n'anya, huru Gi n'anya, huru Gi n'anya onye nwe anyi

Finally, for verse 3,

Ugbua Chineke anyi, anyi n'enye Gi otito

Thus far, I should think that it would even be more appropriate to render the first verse above as: Ugbua Chineke anyi, anyi n'enye Gi ekele INSTEAD OF Ugbua Chineke anyi, anyi n'ekele gi

for the chorus:

We praise You, praise You, praise You Lord -------------------- Anyi n'eto Gi, n'eto Gi, n'eto Gi onye nwe anyi

We praise You, praise You, praise You Lord -------------------- Anyi n'eto Gi, n'eto Gi, n'eto Gi onye nwe anyi

I have used the translation: "onye nwe any" for the word "Lord". Meaning "OUR OWNER"

Nevertheless, supposing you were meaning to render "LORD" as given in KJV of the bible for the name of God, we have it directly in the Igbo translation as "JEHOVAH". But the word "Lord" lower case can often be given as "onye nwe anyi" meaning "our owner". Therefore, if your intention was for the name of God as LORD used in the KJV, then you might as well replace the "onye nwe anyi" lines above with the word Jehovah. In that case, the last chorus for verse 3 read like this:

We praise You, praise You, praise You Lord -------------------- Anyi n'eto Gi, n'eto Gi, n'eto Gi Jehovah

We praise You, praise You, praise You Lord -------------------- Anyi n'eto Gi, n'eto Gi, n'eto Gi Jehovah

The above translations may slightly differ from the one I had posted to you long ago, but I should think that I tried as much as I could to be explain things better here. I would try to locate the address of our local bible and hymns translators, and may be contract them for a more professional job that you could set to music.

Stay blessed.

Love,

Chimka.

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