I mentioned the Esperanto hymnal I just got. Don’t laugh. This means you.
I realized that if you take the translated-from-English hymns in this collection, plus the Consultation on Ecumenical Hymnody’s 150 and you get a really good working set for a moderate to liberal Protestant church. Particularly good since these are mainly in the public domain, which speaks to my “who owns our words of worship” concern.
The Esperanto-only titles I’ve typed out in italics; the translated (from English) hymns are the ones that interest me. For the record, the editors of the Liberala Himnaro esteemed the following enough to include:
- Lord of All Being
- Our Father while our hearts unlearn
- Ho Spiriti Nin Instruu
- Still, still with Thee
- All people that on earth do dwell
- Vivon Al Mi Donas Dio (originally in Esperanto, by F. W. Hipsley)
- The King of Love my shepherd is
- Where is thy God, my soul
- Nearer my God to Thee
- Open my eyes that I may see
- To Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love
- Can I see another’s woe
- We believe in human kindness
- Faith, Hope and Charity
- Thy neighbor
- Rich gifts that heaven delights to see
- Maker of earth and sea and sky
- O Thou by whose creative power
- Almighty Father who dost give
- Love is the Law
- Who will say the world is dying
- Spirit of Faith be Thou my guide
- Make sure of Truth
- Men whose boast it is that ye
- Himno por la paco tutmonda
- The Psalm of Life
- We cannot kindle when we will
- Walk in the Light
- Lead kindly light
- Abide with me
- We bless Thee for Thy peace, O God
- These things shall be
- Sing we of the Golden City
- From Thee all skill and science flow
- Forward through the ages
- To us have distant ages
- One Holy Church
- We limit not the Truth of God
- God of Ages and of nations
- O Beauty old yet ever new
- Wherever through the ages rise
- Preĝo sub la verda standardo (“Prayer beneath the green [Esperantist] banner” by Esperanto founder L. L. Zamenhof)
- La Espero by L. L. Zamenhof
- Kanto de L’ligo
- La TagiÄo
- La Vera Frataro
- Ne Nur El Unu Ras’
- La Vojo by L. L. Zamenhof
I keep misplacing my copy of Liberala Himnaro (it’s a slight enough volume, it’s easy to do) so it’s nice to have found the contents listed online. Multan dankon!
Leland = Haruo