Sing Unceasing Praises: A Malayalam Hymn

Some time ago, I saw a video clip of the Malayalam song Sthuthi Chey Maname included in a worship set at the Urbana Missions Conference. I found my heart’s affections for Jesus being stirred as I sang this song along with my sons. This is a beautiful song, rich in doctrine and truth, originally written by pastor M.E Cherian. Some of the everyday songs that are sung in the Malayali church setting or at ‘kudumba prarthanas’ (family devotions) are so rich in the life giving and timeless truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, a lot of its meaning is either lost in translation or is not taught from one generation to the next so that it becomes mundane tradition. Many of my friends from the Malayali community raised outside of Kerala may not follow Malayalam and some of the beautiful lyrics of such songs can be easily missed. For the benefit of those friends I will attempt to translate the lyrics of this song so that you may meditate on the goodness of Christ as you sing this song next time. I’ve included a small excerpt which is an explanation of the verse as I understand it and a corresponding Scripture that echoes the truth.

Sthuthi chey maname nithyavum nin Jeevanaadhaneshuve

Ithupol swajeevan thannoraathma snehithan veraarini

Translation: Sing unceasing praises oh my soul to Jesus the Lord of my life, For who is a closer friend than Him who lays down his life to ransom us.

Explanation: Much like in the psalms of David, the writer reminds the soul to intentionally remember Jesus the wellspring of eternal life. The love of Christ is described as the incomparable love of a close friend willing to lay down His life in ransom of us.

Scripture: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”(Jn 15:13)

Maranaadhikaariyaayirunna khoranaam pishaachine

Maranathinnaale neekki mruthyu bheethi theertha naadhane

Translation: Through your atoning death Oh Lord you’ve abolished the threat and dominion over death that Satan wielded over mankind.

Explanation: This is a loaded verse that is pregnant with so much theological truth. Following the sinful rebellion of the first Adam, sin and death became a tragic reality of the human experience. Sin ushered in death, decay and sadness that marred God’s created world. No one could escape the threat of death. Even the law of Moses highlights our broken nature and our inability to keep the law perfectly and points to our need for a perfect savior to save us from sin, Satan and death. In the fullness of time, God sent His Son, made in the likeness of man, who entered this broken world and lived the perfect life that you and I can never live.  He died a violent death in our place, for our sins. Jesus, often called the second Adam, became the perfect atoning sacrifice for the sins of those that put their trust in Him. In one single verse, the writer exposits this truth and calls our forgetful hearts to respond in worship, as we remember this humbling yet freeing truth.

Scripture: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 15:55-57)

Bhahumaanyanamaachaarya naayi vaanilavan vaazhkayal

Bhalaheenadhayil kaividaathe cherthu kollumaagayaal

Dhinavum maname thalsamayam vankrupakal praapippaan

Adhidhairyamai krupaasanathinandhikathil chennu nee

Translation: Since therefore we have a worthy High Priest who lives eternally in the heavenly realm, One who is able to aid us in our weakness and preserve us, with boldness and confidence, oh my soul, you may approach the throne of grace with full assurance that you will be received.

Explanation: I love how this verse resembles Hebrews 4:14-16. The writer of this song calls us to rejoice in the truth that Jesus is our eternal High Priest who sympathizes with our weakness. Jesus being fully God and fully man, was tempted in his earthly life just like you and me. Yet, He however overcame temptation without yielding to sin, and even as you read this He sits at the right hand of God the Father, interceding on behalf of all who belong to Him. This is a glorious truth exclusive to the Gospel, exclusive to the Christian Faith. While most religious philosophies point out that man is broken, only Jesus enters the broken world and became the perfect and only substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. He lives now forever to intercede for those that trust in Him. It is because of Jesus that we have the confidence that God the Father will never reject a repentant heart that looks to Him.

Scripture: “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Bhahudhutharucha naadhamode vaazhthidunna naadhane

balavum dhanavum jnanamellam sweekarippaan yogyane

Translation: There is only One (Jesus Christ) worthy to receive strength, glory and wisdom; the  One adored and worshipped by the heavenly host.

Expanation: The writer of this song ends this beautiful exhortation by calling us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ the only One worthy of worship. The crown jewel of heaven, adored and worshipped by the heavenly hosts. Unlike a lot of human-centered and moralistic tunes, the author writes this beautiful song that keeps the focus throughout the song rightly on Jesus Christ. This song is drenched in gospel truth that the Holy Spirit uses to stir our affections for Jesus. As we love Him and behold His beauty and glory our lives start to reflect the glory of God.

Scripture: In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev 5:12)

May we continue to worship Him in Spirit and truth as we remember the richness of the gospel the next time we sing this song.