Why this page exists
The Hymnal is published in English. Every hymn, cover and lyric and title, is in the language of the household that authored it. This page sets out where the household stands on hymns in any other tongue, so a reader or a translator knows the rules before they write to us.
Two rules govern any hymn on this site that is not in English:
- Lyrical licensing. A hymn is translated only where its original devotional lyrics, never KJV verbatim, have been released under a licence that permits it. That release is a slow, careful conversation with the household author, taken one hymn at a time.
- A human translator. No machine-only translation of a hymn appears here. A hymn stands in another tongue only where a Christian translator has walked it through that tongue themselves.
“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” Revelation 5:9
The nineteen languages considered
The list below is the household's own, in no particular order. It is neither a promise nor a schedule. It is a record of the tongues the household has been asked about.
Published in
English
Rule lyrical licensing and a human translator, or the hymn stays in English
What will not be done
- No machine-translated hymn will appear here. A hymn is a prayer; a prayer must be spoken in a real voice.
- No KJV verse will be re-translated on this site. Scripture citations remain in KJV English on every language surface — the household does not attempt to replace another tongue's Bible with our own.
- No auto-detected user language triggers a redirect. The reader chooses the language, always; the site does not choose it for them.
Whom to write to
If you translate hymns for a Christian household, or you know a translator who does — Coptic, Konkani, Aramaic, Māori, any tongue that God has given voice to — write kindly to the Connect page. The household reads every letter.
“There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.” 1 Corinthians 14:10
Twenty tongues, and how Christ has been sung in them
Each card below is a small memory of a tradition: a sentence about how Christ has already been sung in that language, and one King James Psalm that carries the same weight. No translation is produced here.
English
en
The King James English of the mother house — plainspoken, rhythmic, made for congregational singing.
KJV anchor Psalm 119:105
Español
es
Warmth of Iberian and Latin American worship — long melismas, strong congregational refrain, guitar and voice.
KJV anchor Salmo 27:1 · Psalm 27:1
Français
fr
The French Reformed and Catholic traditions — restrained, luminous, close to the psalm text.
KJV anchor Psaume 23 · Psalm 23
العربية
ar
Byzantine and Coptic modal chant — antiphonal, ancient, sung across the Christian East.
KJV anchor مزمور ٩٠ · Psalm 90
Deutsch
de
The Lutheran chorale — four-part harmony, stern beauty, catechetical depth.
KJV anchor Psalm 46
中文
zh
Chinese Christian worship — simple, memorable, often sung in intergenerational homes.
KJV anchor 詩篇 121 · Psalm 121
हिन्दी
hi
North Indian bhajan-shape sung to Christ — call and response, harmonium, tabla.
KJV anchor भजन 34 · Psalm 34
Português
pt
Brazilian and Lusophone worship — samba-adjacent rhythm, joyful percussion, KJV-parallel lyrics.
KJV anchor Salmo 100 · Psalm 100
Русский
ru
Slavonic and Russian Orthodox chant — deep voices, slow arcs, the octoechos tradition.
KJV anchor Псалом 50 · Psalm 51
Kiswahili
sw
East African congregational worship — dancing, drums, close harmony, KJV citation preserved.
KJV anchor Zaburi 63 · Psalm 63
한국어
ko
Korean Presbyterian worship — early-morning prayer meetings, sturdy melody, ardent congregational singing.
KJV anchor 시편 116 · Psalm 116
Italiano
it
Italian sacred song — plainchant heritage, tender melody, Franciscan simplicity.
KJV anchor Salmo 8 · Psalm 8
Nederlands
nl
Dutch Reformed psalmody — the Genevan Psalter tradition, unaccompanied congregational singing.
KJV anchor Psalm 42
日本語
ja
Japanese Christian hymnody — restrained melody, careful diction, small-congregation intimacy.
KJV anchor 詩篇 62 · Psalm 62
Türkçe
tr
Turkish Protestant worship — modest, honest, sung in small gathered houses across Anatolia.
KJV anchor Mezmur 4 · Psalm 4
Polski
pl
Polish Catholic and Lutheran singing — strong marian tradition, robust congregational voice, deep Christmas cycle.
KJV anchor Psalm 91
Bahasa Indonesia
id
Indonesian church music — Batak choral tradition, close harmony, tropical liturgical warmth.
KJV anchor Mazmur 133 · Psalm 133
Tiếng Việt
vi
Vietnamese Catholic and Protestant worship — folk-inflected melody, small-band accompaniment, plain diction.
KJV anchor Thánh Vịnh 121 · Psalm 121
עברית
he
Messianic Hebrew worship — the psalter in its original tongue, sung as prayer for Christ's return.
KJV anchor תהלים 130 · Psalm 130
Ελληνικά
el
Greek Orthodox chanted hymnody — the byzantine tones, sung in the language of the New Testament.
KJV anchor Ψαλμός 51 · Psalm 51
These are not translations. They are notes on traditions far older than this household, set down so we remember whose singing we joined when we started.
We sing in English, and we listen to how the rest of the Church sings.