Sign for 'Thus far

Dixie

Dixie

Farting Snowflakes
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I am trying to learn the signs for Amazing Grace on my own, and I cannot find a sign for the concept of 'thus far' as in

Twas Grace that brought us safe thus far....' perhaps thus far is more PSE than ASL??? I have gotten the rest of it OK though. I may make ASL video later of what Ive already got down (the first and second verses).

The way I would sign the said lyric would be -
GRACE BRING US SAFE then whatever is needed for thus far.

I am trying to answer my own questions by doing the signs, and when I get to that point, I just naturally want to sign FAR, but I am not sure if that is correct.


Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Dixie
 
Is Amazing grace traditionally sung by sining verses 1-3 skip the fourth, then sing 5th verse then repeat the first verse?? I want to say that is how it is traditionally sung in most Protestant churches because I just realized not many people know the fourth verse that starts with the Lord has promised good to me , his word my hope secures, his shield and portion be......

The reason I ask is because I am doing this strictly to an instrumental since most people already know Amazing Grace but I just want to know how it is traditionally sung in protestant churches.
 
how about using the sign "been" as used in "I've been on vacation for a week".. maybe there is another english definition for it.. but uses both index fingers pointed at yourself.. and rolling them up and towards the other person.

something as in going from past-tense to the present. Same sign as in how have you been

BEEN/HOW? = how have you been?

that is as good as I can come up with anyways... old english really does not translate very well..

have you checked on how others have translated it? there has to be something! Amazing Grace is probably the most popular hymn.. im guessing
 
Dixie said:
I am trying to learn the signs for Amazing Grace on my own, and I cannot find a sign for the concept of 'thus far' as in

Twas Grace that brought us safe thus far....' perhaps thus far is more PSE than ASL??? I have gotten the rest of it OK though. I may make ASL video later of what Ive already got down (the first and second verses).

The way I would sign the said lyric would be -
GRACE BRING US SAFE then whatever is needed for thus far.

I am trying to answer my own questions by doing the signs, and when I get to that point, I just naturally want to sign FAR, but I am not sure if that is correct.


Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Dixie
Click to expand...

How about "GRACE KEPT US SAFE SINCE"?
 
Dixie said:
Is Amazing grace traditionally sung by sining verses 1-3 skip the fourth, then sing 5th verse then repeat the first verse?? I want to say that is how it is traditionally sung in most Protestant churches because I just realized not many people know the fourth verse that starts with the Lord has promised good to me , his word my hope secures, his shield and portion be......

The reason I ask is because I am doing this strictly to an instrumental since most people already know Amazing Grace but I just want to know how it is traditionally sung in protestant churches.
Click to expand...
The sign SINCE.

I don't know about Protestant churches but at my Baptist church it depends. Sometimes we sing just the first verse, sometimes the first and last verses, sometimes all the verses; it just depends. There is no "rule".

I don't normally sign during instrumentals at church. If I recognize the song, I'll sign the title of it, just FYI. If a Deaf person specifically requests interpretation, and I know the song I might sign it. But otherwise, instrumental music isn't signed. Most of our church's instrumental music is played before and after the service, or as an offertory. All other songs during the service are vocalized.

Are you signing this for Deaf or hearing people? I'm asking because you stated, "most people already know Amazing Grace". If you think the Deaf people at the church already know Amazing Grace, then you can ask them about some sign suggestions.
 
Reba said:
The sign SINCE.

I don't know about Protestant churches but at my Baptist church it depends. Sometimes we sing just the first verse, sometimes the first and last verses, sometimes all the verses; it just depends. There is no "rule".

I don't normally sign during instrumentals at church. If I recognize the song, I'll sign the title of it, just FYI. If a Deaf person specifically requests interpretation, and I know the song I might sign it. But otherwise, instrumental music isn't signed. Most of our church's instrumental music is played before and after the service, or as an offertory. All other songs during the service are vocalized.

Are you signing this for Deaf or hearing people? I'm asking because you stated, "most people already know Amazing Grace". If you think the Deaf people at the church already know Amazing Grace, then you can ask them about some sign suggestions.
Click to expand...

The church I go to is a Baptist church, but for the life of me I cannot remember how it is sung with this congregation. I was going to ask the music minister today until I had my little episode.

The church is 80% hearing, the other HH and one Deaf lady that shows up for special functions.

The music minister really likes my signing, so he has been encouraging me to sign certain songs (like this morning I signed the chorus to Our God is An Awesome God), and I have the occassional special music fill in where I sign a specific song in its entirety.

I was given a Karaoke CD with the classic hymns on it and I may go by that, hoping the lyrics as it is sung is with the CD. (fingers crossed)

I never know when that one Deaf lady may show up so I want the songs interpreted correctly, not just for her, but also for my sake as well as I am still in the learning phase - and I probably will be for the rest of my life.


I dont sign at every service, it is more of a special opportunity type of thing. And there are times that if I feel confident enough I will start signing the song from the pews to myself.

I hope the description of the type of church helps a bit. But I am not doing ASL just to be performing it, I really want to learn it for myself and the fact that I am losing my hearing and I want to be able to connect with deaf people that are going through my situation or have gone through this situation.

I think SINCE would also be a good fit, but I wil have to sign out the whole song in the mirror to myself to see if it fits with everything else I have done. I will for sure be making a video so that I can get feedback on what needs to change, and what needs to be done better.
 
I have not done much translating of songs.. but why use SINCE in place of "Thus far"?

Original Lyric

T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.

The writer is telling the listener that Grace has kept them safe thus (or SO) far, and Grace will lead them home..

The first part is not a complete sentence, and while I realize that alot of songs do not use proper english grammar.. THIS song tends to stick in sentence form.

that is my thinking with using BEEN which can also be used for "UP UNTIL NOW" which is what I was thinking of.. Had to pull out the dictionary from the storage box in the garage for that..
 
Just FYI, I found these on youtube:

1. YouTube - Video Blog 12

English signing rendition by a young girl. She signs "GRACE" in a way I'm not familiar with.

How do you sign GRACE? I use a "G" coming from God, to the heart.

2. YouTube - A Praising Spirit - Hymns in ASL - American Sign Language

Essentially a "commercial" sampler for an ASL DVD.

3. YouTube - Amazing Grace

"Artsy" performance, not very conceptual.

4. YouTube - Silent Grace Ministries- Amazing Grace

Kinda scary. It's too bad because I like bagpipes (Hubby is learning how to play).


At this website you can see samples of more ASL performance (not interpreting, but performance signing) of hymns and praise songs.

Mark Mitchum


Here is a complete gloss text of all seven verses:

Amazing grace - John Newton


I'm not recommending you copy any of these; just want you to see there's a wide range of "interpretations" out there.
 
I would sign SINCE because my interpretation of "thus far" is, like you said, "so far". It's a concept of time similar to "ever-since", or "up-to-now" and the way that I was taught to sign those concepts is SINCE.

It's a good question! Everyone may not have the same interpretation. It's a sort of poetry. :)


Jasper said:
I have not done much translating of songs.. but why use SINCE in place of "Thus far"?

Original Lyric

T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.

The writer is telling the listener that Grace has kept them safe thus (or SO) far, and Grace will lead them home..

The first part is not a complete sentence, and while I realize that alot of songs do not use proper english grammar.. THIS song tends to stick in sentence form.

that is my thinking with using BEEN which can also be used for "UP UNTIL NOW" which is what I was thinking of.. Had to pull out the dictionary from the storage box in the garage for that..
Click to expand...
 
I do have the original lyrics with me in the official little blue Baptist Hymnal - but also have the exact lyrics for a different singing of it from a Favorite Hymns Karaoke CD (it is sung in a very traditional manner - they just simply skip over the 4th verse.)

And oddly enough for the instrumental I cannot even pick up the melody so I may be signing to words this time around.
With the 4th verse being skipped over for this rendition of it, is going to help me out alot.

Here is how the lyrics are to the form I am signing to --
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me
I once ws lost
but now Im found
was blind, but now I see

Twa grace that taguth my heart to fear
And grace ,y fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

When we've ben here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing gods praise
Than when we first begun

Then when we first begun.

So basically all I have is 3 well known verses.

Here is how my mind is wanting to sign it:
AMAZING GRACE HOW SWEET SOUND
SAVE SINNER LIKE ME
ONCE LOST
BUT NOW FOUND
BLIND BUT NOW SEE

GRACE TAUGHT HEART FEAR
AND GRACE FEARS RELIEVE
PRECIOUS GRACE APPEARED
HOUR I FIRST BELIEVE

WE BEEN HERE 10,000 YEARS
BRIGHT SHINY (need to find a comparative word) SUN
WE HAVE NO LESS DAY SING PRAISE <--- I am not completely confident in this translation though - feels too wordy for ASL.
SINCE WE START

SINCE WE START

I am signing GRACE- in the religious since as shown on ASL Pro. It can be seen here:
http://www.aslpro.com/cgi-bin/aslpro/aslpro.cgi <-- you may have to scroll down to grace.
 
Reba's correct. SINCE= "thus far" or "up until now".
 
Reba,
Ive read over your Glossed link and I actually like it better than my own interpretation. It feels more right for the concepts and staying true to ASL and not leaning towards SEE or PSE. Plus the signs seem to flow much more easily.
 
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