"Tierra bendita y divina"
The Jaffa Gate possibly inspired a line of the hymn from Cuba.
English"Blessed and Divine Land"
GenreHymn
Textby Alejandro Tabales Santiago
LanguageSpanish
Melodyby Robert C. Savage
Published1954 (1954)

"Tierra bendita y divina" (English: "Blessed and Divine Land"), also known as "Tierra de la Palestina" (English: "Land of Palestine"), is a traditional Spanish language Christian hymn derived from Cuba and composed by Robert C. Savage in 1954.[1] It describes the land of Palestine and the details of Jesus' life, and refers to certain historical Israelite places: the Western Wall, the Mount of Beatitudes, and the Jaffa Gate.

Lyrical controversy

On the line, "Tierra bendita y divina, es la de Palestina", the Holy Land is referred to as Palestine. The origin of the name "Palestine" translates in Hebrew Pəléshseth (פלשת), which refers to the kingdom of Philistia: arch-enemy of Israel and west of the Kingdom of Judah.

Lyrics

These are the lyrics in Spanish:

The line "Y en tus hermoso olivares," refers to the Olive trees of Israel.
Spanish lyrics:
Tierra bendita y divina
es la de Palestina
donde nació Jesús;
Eres, de las naciones, cumbre
bañada por la lumbre
que derramó su luz.
Coro
Eres la historia inolvidable,
Porque en tu seno se derramó
La sangre, preciosa sangre,
Del unigénito Hijo de Dios.
Cuenta la historia del pasado
que en tu seno sagrado
vivió el Salvador,
Y en tus hermoso olivares,
habló a los millares
la palabra de amor.
Quedan en ti testigos mudos,
que son los viejos muros
de la Jerusalén;
Viejas paredes ya destruidas,
que si tuvieran vida,
nos hablarían bien.
English translation:
Blessed and divine land
is that of Palestine
where Jesus was born;
You are the summit of all nations
bathed by the fire
that His light has shed
Chorus
You are the unforgettable story,
For in thy bosom spilled
The blood, the precious blood
Of the only-begotten son of God.
Ancient history has it
That in thy sacred bosom
The Saviour lived,
And in your beautiful olive groves,
He spoke to thousands of people
The word of love.
Silent witnesses are in you,
Which are those old walls
of Jerusalem;
Old walls since destroyed,
That if they were alive,
Would tell us the story.

References

  1. ↑ "Tierra bendita y divina" - Composer Robert C. Savage, himnescristians.com Retrieved February 08, 2011.
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