德國科隆主教座堂 The Cologne Cathedral, Germany
（圖片來源 Source：維基百科 Wikipedia）

資料來源：Suzette Walker、原曲樂譜

美國作曲家 Z. Randall Stroope 為記念在二次世界大戰「大屠殺」中被滅的猶太人而寫成 Inscription of Hope （《盼望銘刻》）。此曲的歌詞改編自在德國科隆主教座堂地窖牆上銘刻的詩句。這些詩句相信是來源自第二次世界大戰期間，為逃避納粹軍的滅族屠殺的猶太小朋友在地窖牆上刻下的。

此外，譜面上亦寫明部分旋律取自俄國民謠片段。

粵語版 Cantonese Version

【香港教育學院學生會屬會基督徒團契詩班 HKIEdSUCFC】

【香港城市大學學生會基督徒詩班 CityUSUCC】

曲：Z. Randall Stroope（部分旋律取自俄國民歌）
詞：劉永生

（ Oo…）
時而滿天黑暗，仍能信確有天光嗎？
形單隻影覺孤獨，仍願信真得到愛嗎？
重重試探、困阻挑戰，
仍能破繭出生天？！
神無聲音像似緘默，其實恩典豐富！

時而受創失去信念無盼望，要棄絕；
寂靜、高呼，心似冰冷，但求即終局！
然而上帝將我抱住，扶持，勉勵醫治，
絕路得生，傷痛得慰，意志再生堅決！

（ Oo…..）
時而滿天黑暗，仍能信確有天光嗎？
形單隻影覺孤獨，仍願信真得到愛！
重重試探、屢屢險阻，
一一衝開處處凱歌！
神無聲但未有緘默，無盡恩典豐賜！

時時盼結束黑暗！常常渴想道別劫難！
求平安、大愛皆臨，磨難悲哀終結！

英語版 English Version

Retrieved from Suzette Walker, The Original Score

The Cologne Cathedral has an unusual history. Part of that history is that a pair of Jewish tablets were embedded in an interior wall of the cathedral. The tablets are important because on them were carved the instructions worked out by Archbishop Englebert II (1262-67) under which the Jewish were permitted to reside in Cologne. They are still there in the cathedral and of course, the Jewish are permitted to live there today. They are also important to what happened approximately 700 years later.

During WWII, as you know, the allies were in a huge battle with Adolf Hitler over the persecution and “Final Solution” of the Jewish population of Europe. Because the cathedral was so recognizable, it suffered seventy-five hits by aerial bombs during the war. It had been so well constructed that it never collapsed and became an aerial landmark by the allied aircraft raiding deeper into Germany during the last years of war.

The basement also became the hiding place for Jewish families hiding out from Hitler. At the end of the war, fragments of a poem, believed to have been written by a Jewish child, were scrawled on the wall. Those words from the poem were taken and put to music, the melody coming from an old Russian folk tune, and was turned into the choral arrangement, “Inscription of Hope.” The music and choral arrangement were done by composer Z. Randall Stroope.

The elements used to create this piece came from diverse sources, including fragments of a Russian folk melody and a Jewish text, but the message is universal: hope and firm belief will eventually reign victorious over the greatest of odds, be they prejudice, hate, or fear of death. Limited ranges, an a cappella middle section, and a brief narration all contribute to the effectiveness of this accessible song of hope.

Below are the lyrics of the first stanza of the song, taken from the words inscribed on the wall of the Cologne Cathedral.

【New Jersey Elementary Honor Choir】

【Covenant Christian High School Concert Choir】

Composer: Z. Randall Stroope (with quoting a Russian Folk Tune)
Lyrics: Z. Randall Stroope and from an inspiration on collar walls in Cologne, Germany

(Oo…)
I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining
and I believe in love
even when there’s no one there
and I believe in God
even when he is silent
I believe through any trial
there is always a way

but sometimes in this suffering
and hopeless despair
my heart cries for shelter to know somones there
but a voice rises whithin me saying hold on my child
I’ll give you strength I’ll give you hope just stay a little while

(Oo…)
I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining
and I believe in love
even when there’s no one there

but I believe in God
even when he is silent
I believe through any trial there is always a way

may there someday be sunshine
may there some day be happiness
may there someday be love
may there someday be peace