Divine Image

Composed by Jean Belmont Ford
Voicing: SATB a cappella
Catalog number: AMP 0720
Price: $2.20

The Divine Image
- William Blake (1757-1827)

To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
All pray in their distress;
And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.
Alleluia, Alleluia.

For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
Is God, our father dear,
Alleluia, Alleluia.

For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
Is Man, his child and care.
Alleluia, Alleluia.

For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity a human face,
And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.
Alleluia, Alleluia.

Allah, Adonai, Ihoiho, Jehovah,
Jumala, Olodumare, Omikami,
Modimo, Bosatsu, Tien,
Isten, Shenxian, Dumnezen,
Itzamna, Nerthus, Deus,
Deo, Theos, Dios, Dieu, Deva,
Gaia, Gud, Bęg, Gott,
Tirawa, Alten, Vishnu,
God!


Then every man, of every clime,
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine,
Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.
Alleluia, Alleluia.

(Then) all must love the human form,
In heathen, turk, or jew;
Where Mercy, Love & Pity dwell
There God is dwelling too.
Alleluia, AlIeluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia.

Composer' Comments

The great 18th century mystic and poet. William Blake, repeatedly railed against the specters of bigotry and prejudice, most especially in organized religions.

The insertion of God names in this setting of Blake's The Divine Image is to affirm-by their placement next to each other-the kinship they share. By the mere change of a vowel or two, or a consonant here or there, Hungarians and Chinese (for example) are expressing the same need for the same universal guiding spirit: phonetically-in a clamor of voices-their God words might even sound identical.

It is always good to remember Blake and others throughout the ages who have begged us all to acknowledge that no one person or group of people has the keys to God's truth; that acts of kindness, great or simple, to one another may make us as God-like as we could ever hope to be.

Guide to Origins and Pronunciations

Allah (Arabic)
Adonai (Hebrew) add-doh-nigh
Ihoiho (Polynesian) ee-hoh-ee-hoh
Jehovah (Christian)
Jumala (Finnish) you-mah-lah Olodumare (Nigerian) oh-loh-doo-mahr-ay
Omikami (Japanese) oh-mee-koh-mee
Modimo (Bortswanan) moh-dee-moh
Bosatsu (Buddist) boh-sah-tsoo
Tien (Chinese) tee-ehn
Isten (Hung aian) eesh-sten
Shenxian (Chinese) shay-e-shee-n
Dumnezen (Rumanian) doom-neh-zee-ehn
Itzmna (Mayan) eet-sam-nah
Nerthus (Danish) nare-thoos
Deus (Latin)
Deo (Italian)
Theos (Greek) theh-ohs
Dios (Spanish)
Dieu (French)
Deva (Sanscrit-Hindi) day-wah
Gaia (Greek earth godess) guy-yah
Gud (Swedish) geu-d
Bóg (Russian) baw-guh
Gott (German)
Tirawa (Pawnee) tirh-ah-wah
Aten (Egyptian) ah-ten
Vishnu (India-Hindu) vihsh-noo

recording performed by Festival Choir of Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Eric Townell, conductor

Click here to see a sample.

Click here to listen to a recording (MP3).



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