Our Father knows and loves His children all over the world, from Boston to Okinawa, from San Antonio to Spain, from Italy to Costa Rica. In Ghana, President Gordon B. Hinckley recently thanked the Lord “for the brotherhood that exists among us, that neither color of skin nor land of birth can separate us as Thy sons and daughters.” …
We come to this world in many colors, shapes, sizes, and circumstances. We don’t have to be rich, tall, thin, brilliant, or beautiful to be saved in the kingdom of God—only pure. We need to be obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ and keep His commandments. And we can all choose to do that regardless of where we live or what we look like.[1]
~Clate W. Mask Jr.
Note: This is a part of an ongoing series, the Mexico Mission Hymns Project.
Hymn Text:
The hymn ¿Por qué somos? by Edmund W. Richardson was initially published in the 1912 edition of Himnos de Sion (see Figure 1). It is one of the three hymns that were written originally in Spanish that are included in the 1992 Spanish hymnal. The hymn has also been included in the Portuguese hymnal as “De que rumo vêm os homens”, though it is not included in the current hymnbook in that language. The original publication indicated that it should be sung to the tune of hymn 50 in Songs of Zion, which was ELIZA by Joseph J. Daynes (the tune used in English for “Lord, Accept Our True Devotion”). There have been some changes to the text over they years (see Table 1).
Figure 1. ¿Por qué somos? in the 1912 edition of Himnos de Sion.
Figure 1. ¿Por qué somos? in the 1912 edition of Himnos de Sion.
Table 1. The text of ¿Por qué somos? in different hymn books over the years.
| 1912 Himnos de Sion | 1942 Himnos de Sion | 1992 Himnos |
| ¿Hacia dónde van los hombres,
Y aquí de dónde son? ¿Quién los puso en el mundo, Y aquí, por qué están? Yo contesto: Dios el Padre, E que hizo todo ser, Púsolos aquí en carne, A obrar su perfección. |
¿Hacia dónde van los hombres,
Y aquí de dónde son? ¿Quién los puso en el mundo, Y aquí, por qué están? Yo contesto: Dios el Padre, E que hizo todo ser, Púsolos aquí en carne, A obrar su perfección. |
¿Hacia dónde van los hombres,
y de dónde provendrán? ¿Quién los puso en el mundo, y aquí por qué están? Yo contesto: Dios el Padre, el autor de la Creación. Él los puso en el mundo a labrar su perfección. |
| Aunque no se perfeccionen,
Se espera progresión; El que poco, pues, progrese, Poco es su galardón. Para él que no progrese, Hay mayor condenación; El que peque prefiriendo, Para tal, no hay perdón. |
Aunque no se perfeccionan,
Se espera progresión; El que poco, pues, progrese, Poco es su galardón. Para el que no progrese Hay mayor condenación, El que peque, prefiriendo, Para tal, no hay perdón. |
Aunque no se perfeccionen,
se espera progresión; para quien progrese poco, será poco el galardón. Para el que no progrese hay mayor condenación; el que no se arrepienta no podrá tener perdón. |
| Que cayera nuestro padre
Por el fruto del Edén, Esto Dioses decretaron, Todo fué por nuestro bien; Y que Cristo expiara, Fué también Eterno Plan, Que existe desde antes Que el mundo y Adam. |
Que cayera nuestro padre
Por el fruto del Edén; Esto, Dioses decretaron, Todo fué por nuestro bien. Y que Cristo expïara, Fué también eterno plan, Que existe desde antes Que el mundo y Adán. |
Que cayeran nuestros padres
por el fruto del Edén, fue planeado en los cielos; todo fue por nuestro bien. Y la Expiación de Cristo, parte fue de ese plan que los Dioses presentaron en el mundo premortal. |
| Más que lucros mundanales,
Yo prefiero salvación; Para ella se requiere Obras, fe, abnegación. Ya después aprenderemos Más del gran Eterno Plan; Esta vida, finalmente, Vida es, de probación. |
Más que lucros mundanales,
Yo prefiero salvación, Para ello se requiere: Obras, fe, abnegación. Y después aprenderemos Más del gran eterno plan, Esta vida, finalmente, Vida es, de probación. |
Más que lucros mundanales,
quiero la exaltación; para ello se requieren obras y abnegación. Ya después aprenderemos más del plan de salvación; esta vida, finalmente, vida es de probación. |
The author, Edmund Wilford Richardson (1884 – 1974), was discussed previously as the most prolific author of original Spanish hymns in the Mexican Mission hymnals, authoring 10 out of the 23 original hymns in the 1912 edition. He was serving as a missionary in the Mexican Mission when the 1912 edition was printed, so may have written this hymn during his time as a missionary.
Table 2. My translation of ¿Por qué somos?, based primarily on the 1992 edition of the hymn.
| 1992 Himnos | Prose English Translation | Poetic English Translation |
| ¿Hacia dónde van los hombres,
y de dónde provendrán? ¿Quién los puso en el mundo, y aquí por qué están? Yo contesto: Dios el Padre, el autor de la Creación. Él los puso en el mundo a labrar su perfección. |
Where do men go,
and where will they come from? Who put them in the world, and why are they here? I answer: God the Father, the author of Creation. He put them in the world to work His perfection. |
Where do we go after dying?
Where did we come from at birth? Who put people on this planet? Why are we here on this earth? This I answer: God the Father, Author of all things throughout. He put people on this planet, Our perfection to work out. |
| Aunque no se perfeccionen,
se espera progresión; para quien progrese poco, será poco el galardón. Para el que no progrese hay mayor condenación; el que no se arrepienta no podrá tener perdón. |
Even if they are not perfected,
progression is expected; for those who progress little, The award will be little. For the one who does not progress there is greater condemnation; the one who does not repent Can not have forgiveness. |
Even if we aren’t perfected,
Progress is expected here; Those who make but little progress, Their reward will be austere. Then for those who do not progress There will come severe reproof: For the one who’s not repentant, God’s forgiveness is aloof. |
| Que cayeran nuestros padres
por el fruto del Edén, fue planeado en los cielos; todo fue por nuestro bien. Y la Expiación de Cristo, parte fue de ese plan que los Dioses presentaron en el mundo premortal. |
That our parents fell
for the fruit of Eden, it was planned in the heavens; everything was for our good. And the Atonement of Christ, Was part of that plan that the Gods presented in the premortal world. |
Eve and Adam fell in Eden,
For the fruit of that blessed wood: This was planned above in heaven; Everything was for our good. The Atonement of our Savior Also was part of that plan That the Godhead once presented, Long before this life began.
|
| Más que lucros mundanales,
quiero la exaltación; para ello se requieren obras y abnegación. Ya después aprenderemos más del plan de salvación; esta vida, finalmente, vida es de probación. |
More than mundane profits,
I want the exaltation; for this they are required works and self-denial. Later we will learn more of the plan of salvation; this life, in the end, life is probation. |
More than gaining worldly lucre,
Exaltation I desire. Righteous works and self-denial For this blessing They require. In the future, we will learn more: The Plan of Salvation known; Ultimately, mortal life is A probation for a throne. |
Music:
Here is what the music might have appeared like if printed together with the text in 1912.
And here it is with the English translation:
New Music:
This was actually one of the hymns I submitted for consideration with the new hymnal. My wife didn’t care for the dorian-mode tonality with it, but I like it.
And here is my music with my translation:
Footnotes:
[1] Clate W. Mask Jr., “Standing Spotless before the Lord,” CR April 2004, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2004/04/standing-spotless-before-the-lord.p23?lang=eng
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Thank you for your work on these hymns! I’ve seen the titles and first lines of these songs many times in my music projects, but I don’t often take the time to read through them and understand their messages – despite having served a Spanish-speaking mission.
This hymn, “¿Por qué somos?”, is my favorite so far in this series. Some of the others seem either too didactic, or their themes are commonly found in other hymns, but this one has some unique expression and enthusiasm that, with a good translation, I think would be well-liked by Church members in English and other languages.
Thanks Samuel! It seems like this one has a good shot at making it into the next hymnbook, so I’m hopeful (whether the original music or my submission).
By the way, do you have any suggestions on improvements for this translation of the hymn?
If you’d like to see the original Rhodakanaty letter, it’s online here: https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/fe54957f-9462-4bcb-8fa3-1b326e3bfb48/0/0 — sometimes such images make the past more tangible.
I like your translation! I thought I’d try my hand at my own translation as well. This hymn is hard to get a precise literal translation while keeping the flow. In the first two lines, for example, it seems like it has to be stretched in English to be able to get the right number of syllables. Here’s what I have so far for the first verse:
Have you pondered where you’re going,
Whence you’ve come, or why you’re here?
Have you wondered who created
Friends and strangers far and near?
God, the Father of Creation,
Is the author of the plan,
And his work of exaltation
Is the reason it began.
Thanks Ardis! I appreciate it and have added it to the post.
I like what you’re doing with it there, Samuel. It’s less literal translation, but smoother in conveying the ideas of the hymn.