《遙遙路》(江南好)

數年前,按詞牌《江南好》(又名《憶江南》)寫過幾首詞,其中兩首叫《遙遙路》的,是寫信仰路的,很合今時今日,且譜上曲再貼於這裡:

詞、曲:海牛
(詞牌:《江南好》)

遙遙路,艱險滿憂驚,
乏力孤單無助佑,
惟求恩主永同行,
偕我踏前程。

茫茫路,方向也難明,
南北西東無覓處,
惟求恩主發慈聲,
招我近天京。

I Know Who Holds The Future (New Tune)

我不單曾為《我知誰掌管前途》重譯粵詞,也為它的原中譯譜過新曲,其實在好多年前我更為它的原英文歌詞寫過一個略略不同的旋律。

Lyrics by Albert B. Smith
New tune by Seacow Wheat

I know who holds the future
And I know who holds my hand
With God things don’t just happen
Ev’rything by him is planned
So as I face tomorrow
With its problems large and small
I’ll trust the God of miracles
Give to Him my all

Only A Lifeless Form

在搜集得來有關喜嘉理牧師的眾多文獻中,有一本為喜牧神學院老師Rev. Dr. Joseph Augustine Benton的追思文集,在眾多悼詞中記有一首小詩,很大可能是出自喜嘉理牧師的手筆,詩意頗能道出對一位忠主神僕的惜別之情,謹為這詩譜一個旋律:

詞:C. R. Hager(?)
曲:海牛

Only a lifeless form,
We see before our eyes;
But Christ has set his star
Forever in the skies.

Our loss his brightest gain,
Our grief his peaceful sleep,
From which none ever wake
To grieve, or mourn, or weep,

Farewell, thou man of God!
From Jesus’ blessed arms
We would not call thee back
To tread life’s fitful storms.

In yonder sphere of light,
Amid the ransomed throng,
We see thee now by faith,
And hear thy glad, new song.

Not dead, but gone before,
To wait our coming there;
With harp and crown of gold,
A spirit bright and fair.

《金婚》

父母金婚,原想在港設宴招呼親朋,奈何疫情限聚,回到地球彼端,亦要在酒店強制隔離十四天,完成出關了,也得要lockdown留在家中……

花了大半天,寫了這首歌。

26/4.50

曲、詞:海牛
(給在地球另一端 lockdown 中我的父母親)

半世紀 五十年
疫境中 慶金婚
沒有賓客與盛宴
亦未有熱鬧場面
困家中仍感溫暖
靜靜數點恩典

半世紀 五十年
平淡裡 慶金婚
盛世中我倆共舞
時代變進退同步
歷困苦蒙恩跨過
老病中相關顧

望主保守看顧

Oh, Speak To Me, My Blessed Lord

在前年初搜尋有關喜嘉理牧師的文獻之過程中,找得一份樂譜,歌名是 Oh, Speak To Me, My Blessed Lord,作曲者是 Z. M. Parvin,歌詞卻竟是出自喜牧的手筆!

然而當試著把曲譜用音樂軟件彈奏出來時,發現旋律怪怪的不算優美。後來起了個意念,要為喜牧這首詩重新譜一新曲,出來的效果卻並不算好,更有點像在移植普天頌讚的《禱告良辰歌》而已。

把那詩歌放下了好一段時間,這些日子譜曲多了,又想找回來修改一番;在這個全世界都病了的當兒,主啊,只要你說一句話,就會讓我們得痊癒:

Lyrics by C. R. Hager
Music by Seacow Wheat

Oh, speak to me, my bless-ed Lord;
A-mid life’s lust-y hurry-ing tread;
Calm thou my fears and quak-ing heart,
Un-til my soul with thine is wed.
Oh, speak to me at ear-ly morn,
When low I bend the knee in prayer
To seek thy ho-ly spirits’ cheer,
E-ter-nal joys with thee to share. (Refrain)

Refrain:
  Oh, speak to me in ev-ery hour,
  With some sweet mess-age from above.
  Oh, let me hear thee ev-er speak
  Of God’s own glorious, won-drous love.

Oh, speak to me at twi-light’s eve,
In gent-le whisp-ers soft and low;
When I am wear-y, faint and weak,
Then teach me thy sweet rest to know,
Oh, speak to me my bles-sed Lord,
When temp-ted, tired and very sore
En-fold me in thy lov-ing arms,
And hide me there for ev-er-more. (Refrain)

Oh, speak to me, my bless-ed Lord,
That I may tell in ac-cents sweet,
The sto-ry of thy gra-cious love,
‘Till all on earth its song re-peat,
Oh, speak to me when an-gels come
To bear my soul to realms of light,
That I may look be-yond earth’s night,
To Bethl’hem’s star for-ev-er bright. (Refrain)

《當苦難臨近》(我又再想起主深恩)

這首歌,從腦中浮現第一句曲詞到今天寫成,大概有三年多四年的時間吧。

苦難,從來都是基督信仰的核心課題之一,在這社會逆境/疫境中,主耶穌那對帶釘痕的手帶給你我怎樣的力量?

曲、詞:海牛

當苦難臨近
當生活迫人
我又再想起主那莫測的深恩

當天灰也昏
當雲蔽月暗
主不變的應許是夜裡路燈

我夢見主張開那對給釘傷刺透過的手
好想抱著我話我知祂的恩典多足夠
聽我徬徨難過孤單軟弱連連流淚禱告
讓我於堅穩的臂彎安躺

我夢見主伸出那對給釘傷刺透過的手
拭乾我淚眼話我知祂的恩典多足夠
我從猶疑惶恐不安的困局從頭重認主的愛
讓我於濁浪風波中站穩 對抗

當苦難臨近
當生活迫人
我又再想起主深恩

《人生路多幻變》

這又是一首很久很久以前寫的歌;那個年頭,寫了好幾首關於人生高低幻變離合的歌,惟獨這首,一直不夠努力和決心把它寫成曲譜。末段部份的的歌詞,源自普天頌讚355首的《常住愛中歌》 (In Heavenly Love Abiding)。

曲、詞:海牛

人生路多幻變
誰可預告明天
誰又可改變昨日
掌握永遠
離合聚散少不免

何必自嗟自怨
何用為過去留戀
忘掉那得失勝負
悲歡愛怨
成敗定性差一線

前方自有花開遍
如今縱還未看見
原來黑雲當空處
將成化日光天

在我心中希望無限量
奔走生命路程
讓我將一生全獻給主
主願與我同往

《望有平安》

情人不在身邊的情人節晚上,香港仍在風雨飄搖,賊婆娘也繼續招搖,疫情難消,人人指望平安,完成了這歌。

曲、詞:海牛

天已黑夜已沉
風正急暴雨侵
心已灰夢已殘
滿眼困局難關

黑暗中我念記神
風雨中盼待救恩
主愛堅定永不改
求為我抹掉愁哀

望有平安
望有平安
望有平安
望有平安

主內的平安