The Prayer

Last night was Christmas Eve. Our family always attends the evening candlelight service at our church. And this service is typically the most attended of any all year long. It concludes with everyone lighting a handheld candle, turning the lights down, and singing Silent Night. It is a time for us all to focus on the reason that we celebrate Christmas–that unto us a child was born, and He was called Immanuel, “God with us.”

There is always “special music” on Christmas Eve. “Special music” in my church means something other than the standard congregational singing with organ or piano accompaniment. Members who have talent playing an instrument or singing prepare pieces to contribute to the worship service. This year, my daughter was asked to play the flute along with a couple of verses of “Silent Night,” and I was asked to sing the male part in a duet of “The Prayer,” originally recorded by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion, with a more well-known version in which Josh Groban replaced Andrea Bocelli.

This song has made it into the rotation of Christmas music on radio stations and streaming services. But I thought its message didn’t seem all that “Christmasy.” It doesn’t seem to be about the nativity, or winter, or snowmen, or Santa Claus. It is about faith, but the line “give us faith so we’ll be safe” just seemed odd for Christmas. And, faith doesn’t keep us safe, or at least not in the way we normally think of safety. Faith doesn’t keep us safe from the weather, or from harm by evildoers or accidents. I got to thinking that perhaps the translation just isn’t that good. Perhaps “safe” is better translated “saved,” having to do with eternal salvation rather than worldly safety. So, using alltheyrics.com, Google translate, my two years of college French, and my lifetime of Christian education to help, I looked at the Italian words and the supposed English translation, and I found what I thought I would. If this is a song considered appropriate for the season, in the church calendar rather than the shopping calendar, the translation could be better. Here’s what I came up with in an hour or two, by comparing both the duet version and the original solo version in Italian, which has a different feel altogether. Below, I have kind of mashed the versions together.

Verse 1 (English/duet)

I pray you’ll be our eyes, and watch us where we go,
And help us to be wise, in times when we don’t know
Let this be our prayer, as we go our way
Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
To a place where we’ll be safe.

Verse 1 (Italian-Bocelli)

Italian (Male voice)	Translation (proposed)
O dio che tutto sai,	O God, you know all things.
Ricordati di voi insegnaci la via che a te ci condurrà	Remember us, and show us the way which will lead us to you.
Se ti giungerà, questa mia preghiera, Tu l’ascolterai	If this prayer of mine comes to you, hear it
E ei salverai, I tuoi figli siamo noi	and save us, your children.

 

Italian (Male voice)	Translation (allthelyrics)	Translation (proposed)
La luce che tu dai	The light that you give	The light that you give
Nel cuore resterà	In the heart will remain	will remain in our hearts
A ricordarci che	To remind us that	to remind us that
L’eterna stella sei	You are the eternal star	you are the eternal star.
Nella mia preghiera	In my prayer	In my prayer,
Quanta fede c’è	How much faith there is	How much faith there is!

English (Female voice)

I pray we’ll find your light
And hold it in our hearts
When stars go out each night

Let this be our prayer
When shadows fill our day

Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Italian (Both voices)	Translation (allthelyrics)	Translation (proposed)
Sognamo un mondo senza più violenza	We dream of a world with no more violence	We dream of a world without violence.
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza	A world of justice and of hope	A world of justice and of hope, with
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino	Everyone gives his hand to his neighbor	everyone offering his hand to his neighbor
Simbolo di pace e di fraternità	A symbol of peace and brotherhood	as a symbol of peace and brotherhood.

 

Italian (Solo version)	Translation (proposed)
Sognamo un mondo senza più violenza	We dream of a world without violence.
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza	A world of justice and of hope,
Ognu’la via da mondo eternitera	bringing the world, for eternity,
Sin dolore E pace di fraternità	no pain, but instead, peace and brotherhood.

 

Italian (Male voice)	Translation (allthelyrics)	Translation (proposed)
La forza che ci dai	The strength that you give us	You give us strength
E’ il desiderio che	Is the desire that	to hope that
Ognuno trovi amor	everyone find love	we can all find love
Intorno e dentro a sé	Around and inside of himself	around us and within us.

We ask that life be kind
And watch us from above
We hope each soul will find
Another soul to love

Let this be our prayer
Just like every child
Need[s] to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Italian (Both voices)	Translation (allthelyrics)	Translation (proposed)
E’ la fede che hai acceso in noi	And the faith you have ignited in us	And the faith that you have ignited in us
Sento che ci salverà	I feel will save us	will surely save us.

So, in short, the prayer seems to be for faith and eternal salvation, rather than temporal “safety.” I like it much better this way, and it surely seems more appropriate to sing in church. The focus on peace and brotherhood seems to fit in with other holiday sentiments, both secular and religious, and it isn’t too much of a stretch to suggest that the birth of a King and a Savior might be the Light that He gives to ignite a flame of faith in us.

I would be grateful if any native Italian speakers and/or anyone more familiar with the various versions of this song than I would care to correct my translations or comment in any other constructive way.

Merry Christmas!

References:
https://www.letras.mus.br/andrea-bocelli/279032/
http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/josh_groban/the_prayer-lyrics-9336.html