Composition:
Music by Candy Hui 2002
English lyrics by Candy Hui
Guitar by Sebastian Tam

The song “Talitha Koum”, expressly composed for this missionary journey, takes its inspiration from the Gospel of Mark (Mk5: 21-23; 40-42), which relates how a Synagogue official named Jairus, came to Jesus and implored Him to go to his house and save her 12 year old daughter from death. Jesus went to his house, took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the dead child was.

Jesus taking the child by the hand, said to her, “Talitha Koum”, which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”. The child rose up and lived.

Talitha (little girl) Koum (rise up) are two Aramaic words (Aramaic was the common language in Palestine at the time of Jesus). The Gospel of Mark keeps these two words in its original form as Jesus must have said them, without translating them into Greek.

The song is structured around these two key words and develops the theme of “rise up my child!”. Jesus is inviting us to rise up from our way of living, and walk towards the fullness of Life, the true joyof living.