The Rad Trad found himself reading his 1961 edition of the Liber Usualis for the first time in a few months. His copy, printed at St. John's Abbey for Americans, contains an appendix with the revised psalms published by Pius XII in 1945 and with the caveat that they are for Holy Week. The Rad Trad randomly decided to compare psalm 109 to the Vulgate original. He did not like what he saw. Although not a capable singer himself, the Rad Trad wondered how anyone could possibly sing, let alone pray, this thing.
1. Dixit Dominus Domino meo: Sede a dextris meis, donec ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum,
2. Sceptrum potentiae tuae protendet Dominus ex Sion: Dominare in medio inimicorum tuorum!
3. Tecum principatus die ortus tui in splendore sanctitatis: ante luciferum, tamquam rorem, genui te.
4. Juravit Dominus et non paenetibut eum: Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech.
5. Dominus a dextris tuis: conteret die irae suae reges.
6. Judicabit nationes, acervabit cadavera; conteret capita late per terram.
7. De torrente in via bibet, propetera extollet caput.
Thank goodness Pope John XXIII returned to the Vulgate version!
what's the problem?
ReplyDeleteVerses 3 and 6 are very awkward, there is a preference for a pre-Christian era vocabulary, and "corrected" orthography in the dipthongs. In short, it's people playing with the psalter and having a less than spectacular result.
DeleteOr, put in vulgar parlance, it's a load of crap!
Delete