Welcome to the page that launches an MP3 recording of Thomas Heck's composition, "Simple Prayer" -- a setting in English of the original 12th-century Italian-language "Peace Prayer" (Preghiera semplice) attributed to St Francis of Assisi. Soon after you click on the image below, you should be hearing a live performance of it by soprano Christine Shumway Mortine, of Columbus, Ohio. The music should synchronize with the words and images, designed to display on your computer as a ".pps" (PowerPoint Show) file.*

Be patient while the files load. It may take a minute or more. It's worth the wait! The piece should start by itself about a minute after you click the picture (above). It lasts 4'20".

   NOTE: If you see a "media player" control bar in the area below, it means that the MP3 file is loading or has loaded. There is no need to click "play" unless all you want to do is hear the music.

 

*Note: If MS Office 2003 or later is not installed on your computer, you'll need to download a free PowerPoint viewer so that this kind of "PowerPoint show" will work correctly. Your computer's speakers should be turned on, too, or you should use headphones to listen.

ABOUT THE WORDS

The text was adapted by Anne Goodrich Heck for group singing, using the plural forms "we" and "us" in contrast to the singular wording of the original. The English is presented here in parallel with the Italian:

Refrain
Peace, Peace, the instruments of your peace,
Make us, Lord, the bearers of your peace.
Oh, Signore! Fa di me un istrumento
della tua pace:

 
Where there is hate let us show your love, 
Where there's offense may we pardon,
Where there's discord help us foster unity,
Where there's doubt let us share our faith.

Refrain

Where there is error let us bring truth,
And hope to those in despair;
Where there is sadness may we bring joy,
And light to those in darkness.

Refrain

Help us, o Master, not so much to seek:
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved, as to love.

Last verse, set to melody of Refrain.
For, in giving we receive,
In pardoning we are pardoned,
In dying we are born to our eternal life.

 Dove è odio, fa ch'io porti l'amore.
Dove è offesa, ch'io porti il perdono.
Dove è discordia, ch'io porti l'unione.
Dove è dubbio, ch'io porti la fede.
 
 

Dove è errore, ch'io porti la verità.
Dove è disperazione, ch'io porti la speranza.
Dove è tristezza, ch'io porti la gioia.
Dove sono le tenebre, ch'io porti la luce.
 
 

Oh, Maestro! Fa ch'io non cerchi tanto:
Ad essere consolata, quanto a consolare,
Ad essere compreso, quanto a comprendere,
Ad essere amato, quanto ad amare.
 

Poichè si è dando che si riceve,
Perdonando che si è perdonati,
Morendo che si riuscita a vita eterna.