Why it is important

Voices Home invites everyone to look beneath the skin-deep differences and move beyond language barriers to find the common humanity and hope for a better world.

This project was undertaken by friends of Jimmy Carter in anticipation of the celebration of his 85th birthday, and is dedicated to the work of the Carter Center “Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.” Traveling beyond the languages and voices, we find each person lifting up the same prayer. Then, the interwoven voices are joined by a gospel choir.

We hope you'll agree that beneath all our different languages and exteriors are similar searches, and that the work of realizing the dreams of a better tomorrow begins by expanding our outlook to see our shared humanity today.

Our thanks to all of the voices who took part in this project – interns of The Carter Center, employees of The Elfenworks Foundation, and other friends far and near. Our thanks to you, our visitors, for all you do as a voice for peace in the world.

Nonprofits and faith-based groups have our permission to make limited use of our sheet music for their own Voices Home events. Tell us about your forthcoming or recent event, and images we can post. It is our hope that with this project, harmonious understanding will grow in the 21st century. If you want to with other 22kHz 64kbps radio quality mp3s we can post of other spoken languages, to please feel free… we don't promise but we'll try.

Arabic

Cantonese and Mandarin

English

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name  Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done On Earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our [debts / trespasses ]
As we forgive [our debtors /  those who trespass against us]
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us [from evil / from The Evil One]
[For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever].
Amen 

Farsi

Ei pedarema, ke dar asman ast:
nameto moghaddas bad.
Malakuteto beayad.
Eradateto chonan dar asman ast bar zamin nafez bad.
Naneruzineyemara dar in ruz bema bebakhsh.
Va an chonan ke gharzdaranekhodra mibakhshim,
gharzhayemara bema bebakhsh.
Va mara dar ma'razeazmayesh
nayavar, balke az sharir khalasi deh.
Zira ke molk va ghodrat va jalal ta abad az aneto 'st

French

Notre Père qui es aux cieux
Que ton Nom soit sanctifié
que ton règne vienne
que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.
Donne-nous aujourd'hui notre pain de ce jour;
pardonne-nous nos offenses,
comme nous pardonnons aussi à ceux qui nous ont offensés;
et ne nous soumets pas à la tentation,
mais délivre-nous du Mal.
[Car c'est à toi qu'appartiennent, le règne, la puissance et la gloire,  pour les siècles des siècles.]
Amen.

Gaelic

Ár nAthair atá ar neamh,
go naofar d'ainm,
go dtaga do ríocht,
go ndéantar do thoil ar an dtalamh
mar a dhéantar ar neamh.
Ár n-arán laethúil tabhair dúinn inniu,
agus maith dúinn ár bhfiacha
mar a mhaithimidne dár bhféichiúna féin,
agus ná lig sinn i gcathú, ach saor sinn ó olc.

German

Vater unser im Himmel,
geheiligt werde dein Name.
Dein Reich komme.
Dein Wille geschehe,
wie im Himmel so auf Erden.
Unser tägliches Brot gib uns heute.
Und vergib uns unsere Schuld,
wie auch wir vergeben unsern Schuldigern.
Und führe uns nicht in Versuchung,
sondern erlöse uns von dem Bösen.
[Denn dein ist das Reich und die Kraft und die Herrlichkeit in Ewigkeit.]
Amen.

Greek

How to pronounce the Greek…
PAter himON o-enTIS ooraNIS
ayiasthIto to onomAsoo
elTHEto i vasilIa soo
yeniTHIto to THEliMA soo
OS en ooranO ke epI tis GIS
ton ARTon imON ton epiOOsion
THOS imIn SIMeron
ke AFes imIN ta ofilImata imON
OS ke imIs afIemen tis ofilEtes imON
ke MI isenENGis imAS is pirasMON
allA rIse imAS apo too ponhiROO
amIn

Hawaiian

E ko mākou Makua i loko o ka lani,
E ho‘āno ‘ia Kou inoa,
E hiki mai Kou aupuni,
E mālama ‘ia Kou makemake ma ka honua nei.
E like me ‘ia i mālama‘ia ma ka lani lā.
E hā‘awi mai iā mākou i kēia la
I ‘ai nā mākou no nēia lā.
E kala mai ho‘i iā mākou i kā mākou lawehala ‘ana
Me mākou e kala nei i ka po‘e i lawehala i kā mākou.
Mai ho‘oku‘u ‘oe iā mākou i ka ho‘owalewale ‘ia mai,
E ho‘opakele nō na‘e iā mākou i ka ‘ino.
[No ka mea, Nou ke aupuni, a me ka mana, a me ka ho‘onani ‘ia, a mau loa aku]
Āmene.

Hindi

Italian

Padre Nostro, che sei nei cieli,
Sia santificato il tuo nome.
Venga il tuo regno,  
Sia fatta la tua volontà,
Come in cielo, così in terra.
Dacci oggi il nostro pane quotidiano, 
E rimetti a noi i nostri debiti
Come noi li rimettiamo ai nostri debitori.
E non ci indurre in tentazione,
Ma liberaci dal male. Amen.

Japanese

Kikongo

Tata na beto yikele na zulu
Dizina ya nge ya sakumuka
Kipfumu ya nge ya kuiza
Luzolo ya nge ya vangama
Na ntoto mutindu yake vangama na zulu
Pesa beto bubu madia ya beto ya kilumbu yayi
Lembolo betu ba mfuka na nge
Mutindu beto pe kelembolo
Na bayina beto bakaka ba mfuka
Pe nge bika betu ve kubua na mpukumunu
Kasi kula beto na yimbi
Kimfumu, luzingu, pe lukumu ke ya nge tina tsuka.
Amen

Kiyombe

Tat’etu widi mu diyilu
Dizina diaku di sakumuka
Kipfumu kiaku kiza
Luzolo luaku luvangu va tsi dede mu diyilu
Utuvana bubu bidia bieto bi lumbu ka lumbu
Utulembolo zi pfuka
Dede bo ntumlembolo badieto boso tubaka zi pfuka
Kuedi tutala tubua mu zi phukumunu ko
Vayi wu tukula mu mambi
Kipfumu, luzingu, ayi lukumu bikala yaku mvu ka mvu
Amen

Kurdish

Bavê me yê li ezmanan,
Bila navê te pîroz be.
Bila padîşahiya te bê.
Daxwaza te wek li ezmanan,
Li ser rûyê erdê jî bi cih bê.
Nanê me yê rojane roj bi roj bide me.
Û li deynên me bibihûre,
Wek ku em li deyndarên xwe bihûrtine.
Û me nebe ceribandinê,
Lê me ji yê xerab xilas bike.
[Çimkî padîşahî, pêkarîn û rûmet
her û her ên te ne!]
Amîn.

Latin

Pater noster, qui es in caelis:
sanctificetur Nomen Tuum;
adveniat Regnum Tuum;
fiat voluntas Tua,
sicut in caelo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie;
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris;
et ne nos inducas in tentationem;
sed libera nos a Malo.

Lingala

Portuguese

Pai Nosso, que estais nos Céus,
Santificado seja o Vosso nome. 
Venha a nós o Vosso reino, 
Seja feita a Vossa vontade 
Assim na Terra como no Céu.
O pão nosso de cada dia nos dai hoje.
Perdoai-nos as nossas ofensas 
Assim como nós perdoamos a quem nos tem ofendido
E não nos deixeis cair em tentação 
Mas livrai-nos do mal. 
[Pois Teu é o reino, e o poder, e a glória para sempre.] 
Amém.

Russian

Spanish

Padre nuestro que estás en el Cielo,
santificado sea Tu nombre,
venga a nosotros su Reino,
hágase su voluntad en la Tierra como es en el Cielo,
danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día,
y perdona nuestras ofensas,
como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden,
no nos dejes caer en tentación,
y líbranos del mal,
[Porque Tuyo es el Reino el Poder y la Gloria por Siempre Señor]
Amén

Tchiluba

Tatu wetu udi mu diulu
Tunemeke dina diebe.
Bukelenge buebe bulue.
Tuenze pa buloba bu muwudi musue,
Bu mudibo bakuenzela mu diulu.
Utupe tshitupa tshia bidia bietu,
bia buatshia-buatshia lelu.
Utujimijile mibi yetu, bu mutuakumana
kujimijila bakuabo mibi yabo.
Kutufikishi padi mateyi, kadi
Utusungile kudi bubi.

Thai

Urdu

Afrikaans (text only)

Onse Vader wat in die hemele is,
laat u Naam geheilig word.
Laat u koninkryk kom.
Laat u wil geskied,
soos in die hemel net so ook op die aarde.
Gee ons vandag ons daaglikse brood,
En vergeef ons ons skulde,
soos ons ook ons skuldenaars vergewe.
Lei ons nie in versoeking nie,
maar verlos ons van die Bose.
[Want aan U behoort die koninkryk en die krag en die heerlikheid,
tot in ewigheid.
Amen.]

Aramaic (text only)

How to pronounce the Aramaic...

Abwûn d'bwaschmâya
Nethkâdasch schmuuch
Têtê--- malkuthach
Nehwê tzevjânach aikâna
d'bwaschmâya’f b'arha
Hawvlân lachma d'sûnkanân yao-mâna
Wasbokân chaubên wachtahên aikâna
daf chnân schvoqan l'chaijabên
Weyla tachlân l'nesjuna
ela patzân min bischa
Metul dilachie malkutha wahaila
wateschbuchta l'ahlâm almîn.
Amên

Zulu (text only)

Baba wethu osezulwini
Maliphathwe ngobungcwele igama lakho.
Umbuso wakho mawufike.
Intando yakho mayenziwe emhlabeni njengasezulwini.
Awusiphe namhla isinkwa sethu semihla ngemihla.
Usithethelele izono zethu
njengoba nathi sibathethelela abasonayo.
Ungasingenisi ekulingweni
kodwa usisindise kokubi.

Credits

Voices Home:

• Based on The Lord’s Prayer
• Lyrics by Lauren Speeth & Music by Tammy Hall
• Video (photos, editing and production) - Lauren Speeth
     with artwork by Sister Mary of the Holy Spirit, O.P.
• Site design by Mike Dalling
  

Dedicated to:

• The Carter Center
  "Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."

Music performed by:

• Commodore Callahan (see band website for musicians and singers)

The Voices of Voices Home:

• Surabhi Agrawal, The Carter Center  – Hindi
• Roy Akau, Honolulu Baptist Church – Hawaiian
• Andrea Caniz – Italian
• Marianna Cascio - Italian
• Father David Gill, SJ –Greek (Modern, Classical), Latin
• Nicole Keller – German
• Romain Konde, The Carter Center – Kikongo, Kiyombe, Lingala
• Annie Li – Cantonese / Mandarin
• Noreen McCullaugh, Elfenworks – Gaelic
• Alexandra Neiman –  English  variation 1
• Morgan Neiman –  English variation 2
• Michael Radovolsky – Russian
• Jacquelyn Reyes, Elfenworks – Spanish
• Pierre Sagot, French
• Nadir Shams, The Carter Center – Urdu
• Lauren Speeth, Elfenworks  – Aramaic, English, Portuguese
• Marian Sprague, Elfenworks - Arabic
• Ken Tam, Elfenworks – Tshiluba
• John Watkins, Elfenworks – Latin
• Noriko Tabata – Japanese
• Goran Zanganq , The Carter Center – Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish

Sheet Music

Nonprofits and faith-based groups have our permission to make limited use of our sheet music for their own Voices Home events. The sheet music is available in PDF format.

Put on a VoicesHome event

To put on a voices home event, you will need

• Voices Home sheet music
• one pianist
• singers
• speakers

Not-for-profit organizations and faith-based groups have our permission to put on Voices Home events royalty-free. We ask that you please   us and let us know in advance of the event, so we can spread the word, and follow up with feedback.

Putting on a Voices Home event can help bring communities together by encouraging people with various ethnic backgrounds to share their language and traditions by focusing on the Lord’s Prayer, read in a spoken-word “round,” while a pianist and choir perform a musical interpretation of it in the background. This is an excellent way to tap into the rich heritage of various cultures that often go ignored in various communities.

Benefits to putting on a Voices Home event:

1. Bridge-building: unites the community through a shared-faith experience.
2. Opens up discussions about how each culture views life in their own unique ways.
3. Reconnects parishioners who may feel out of touch with others but who speak a rare dialect or know a different variation on the Lord’s Prayer that they would like to share.

Here are suggested steps to take in order to put on a Voices Home event:

1. Make an announcement to the congregation, seeking out as many different languages and dialects as possible to participate in reading the Lord’s Prayer. Perhaps a sign-up sheet can be posted in a central location or circulated during meetings, fellowship, etc. If the church has a pianist and choir already in place, we can supply you with sheet music to the song, “Home” and a source recording.
2. Perhaps even have a discussion about how each culture has a variation on the Lord’s Prayer.
3. Rehearse the song with the pianist and choir.
4. Rehearse the song instrumentally so that the speakers can practice staggering their readings of the Lord’s Prayer. After the last speaker finishes, the chorus would come in with the lyrics once, then fade out with just piano and voices again.
5. Can be used as music before the offertory or as part of a multicultural fundraiser, featuring various ethnic foods and fair-trade goods for sale.