Cantharmonie; C’est Mon Histoire

It is quite easy to learn old French religious songs, called
‘Cantharmonie’ in an édition of ‘La Voix de l’Evangile’, fifth
édition, September 1978, Marseille, France – because I know
the melodies from Afrikaans! - take for example ‘Blye
Versek’ring’ from Halleluja Songs:

‘Blye versek’ring, Jesus is myn, o wat ‘n vreugde,
heerlik en rein, wedergebôre, rein deur sy bloed,
smaak ek sy vreugde in my gemoed - Dit is my roem-
taal, dit is my lied, lof wat ek Jesus ewig sal bied; dit is
my roemtaal, dit is my lied, lof wat ek Jesus ewig sal bied'

Originally in French - J’ai l’assurance de mon salut, par la
présence du Seigneur Jésus Christ – son sang m’a lavé,
m’a racheté, et l’esprit Saint m’a régénéré; C’est mon
histoire, c’est là mon chant, louer mon Sauveur à
chaque instant - c’est mon histoire, c’est là mon
chant, louer mon Sauveur à chaque instant'

It is so marvelous to find the well-known in new material,
many raised complaints about Afrikaans, the newcomer
to European languages, taking over European melodies –
for Pete’s sake, we are just a hundred years old,
where did you want us to borrow?

So whenever I come across old European traditions, it is
not strange to me, but as fresh as our young language
which produced a Bible in Afrikaans for the first time
in 1933, not even a hundred years ago, and the new
words we tagged on old tunes

Everything feeling so wonderful, I feel so at home when
studying the Europe of my forbears - with the
wonder and vitality of warm Africa
glowing in my heart!