Hinos
Abide With Me e Uma Ponte Longe Demais: lembranças, bur(r)ocracia e voluntarismo
O hino protestante "Abide With Me" foi escrito pelo escocês Henry Lite (1793-1847) e é cantado com a melodia composta pelo londrino William Henry Monk (1823-1889, dizem que o hinário dele vendeu 60 milhões de exemplares). Aqui, os protestantes das antigas conhecem como "Comigo Habita", com letra que, Deus me absolva, nem chega perto dos versos de Lite, inspirados pelo trecho de Lucas 24:29 (os discípulos no caminho de Emaús).
Cantei (e toquei) muito na igreja presbiteriana. Ganha um hinário quem achar igreja onde se cante hinos hoje em dia.
Mas eu lembrei de "Abide With Me" porque é cantado pelos soldados aliados prestes a se render aos alemães no final de "A Bridge Too Far" (Uma ponte longe demais, 1977), um dos melhores fimes de guerra que já vi. Dirigido pelo Richard Attenborough, tem no elenco Sean Connery, Gene Hackman, Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins, James Caan, Maximilian Schell, Laurence Olivier, Robert Redford e muitas outras feras.
"Uma ponte longe demais" conta a história da operação Market Garden, pós-Normandia, uma lambança dos aliados, que cometeram dois pecados capitais: voluntarismo e burrocracia.
Contra voluntarismo e burrocracia, só Deus. Oremos.
Abide With Me
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide
When other helpers fail and comforts flee
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me
Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away
Change and decay in all around I see
O thou who changest not, abide with me
I need thy presence every passing hour
What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me
I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me
Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee
In life, in death, o Lord, abide with me
PS - Meu pai, que é muito detalhista e caprichoso (e me ensinou a tocar Comigo Habita quando eu era criança), achou a letra completa do hino e, de quebra, fez uma tradução livre:
The darkness thickens. Lord, with me abide
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!
Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away:
Change and decay in all around I see.
O Thou who changest not, abide with me!
Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But as Thou dwellst with thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free, --
Come, not to sojourn, but abide with me.
Come not in terrors, as the King of kings;
But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings,
Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea.
Come, Friend of sinners and thus bide with me.
Thou on my head in early youth did smile,
And though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee.
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me!
I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the Tempter's power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O, abide with me!
I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? where grave thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
Hold then thy cross before my closing eyes;
Speak through the gloom, and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and Earth's vain shadows flee!
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!
