Abbey Psalms and Canticles
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    My copy of The Abbey Psalms and Canticles arrived today. I remember a few threads a while back with questions regarding this translation, with quotations from the [Ecumenical] Grail Psalter, which caused some consternation. (Reasonably, considering the Grail's quest* for inclusive language.) I am going to share some passages so that you can see what this new translation is like. Abp. Gomez's DECREE OF PUBLICATION (February 2, 2020) states that this version "may be used in the Sacred Liturgy in the dioceses of the United States of America upon pulication". [NB. These excerpts are given only for educational purposes. The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the monks of Conception Abbey (C) 2010, 2018 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.]

    Psalm 1:

    1. Blessed indeed is the man
    who follows not the counsel of the wicked,
    nor stands in the path with sinners,
    nor abides in the company of scorners,
    2. but whose delight is the law of the LORD,
    and who ponders his law day and night.

    3. He is like a tree that is planted
    beside the flowing waters,
    that yields its fruit in due season,
    and whose leaves shall never fade;
    and all that he does shall prosper.

    4. Not so are the wicked, not so!
    For they, like winnowed chaff,
    shall be driven away by the wind.

    5. When the wicked are judged they shall not rise,
    nor shall sinners in the council of the righteous;
    6. for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.


    Psalm 23(22):

    1. A Psalm of David.

    The Lord is my shepherd;
    there is nothing I shall want.
    2. Fresh and green are the pastures
    where he gives me repose.
    Near restful waters he leads me;
    3. he revives my soul.

    He guides me along the right path,
    for the sake of his name.
    4. Though I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death,
    no evil would I fear, for you are with me.
    Your crook and your staff will give me comfort.

    5. You have prepared a table before me
    in the sight of my foes.
    My head you have annointed with oil;
    my cup is overflowing.

    6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life.
    In the LORD's own house shall I dwell
    for length of days unending.


    Psalm 117(116):

    1. O praise the LORD, all you nations;
    acclaim him, all you peoples!

    2. For his mercy has prevailed over us;
    and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.

    Alleluia!


    The Vespers Canticle--which seems almost translated to fit the music of 'Alleluia: Lapis revolutus est'.

    Cf. Rev. 19: 1-2, 5-7

    Alleluia!
    1. Salvation and glory and power to our God,
    (R. Alleluia!)
    2. for his judgments are true and just.
    R. Alleluia (alleluia).

    Alleluia!
    5. Sing praise to our God, all you his servants,
    (R. Alleluia!)
    you who fear him, small and great.
    R. Alleluia (alleluia).

    Alleluia!
    6. For the Lord, our God the Almighty reigns.
    (R. Alleluia!)
    7. Let us rejoice and exult, and give him the glory.
    R. Alleluia (alleluia).

    Alleluia!
    The marriage feast of the Lamb has come,
    (R. Alleluia!)
    and his bride has prepared herself.
    R. Alleluia (alleluia).


    Magnificat (Luke 1: 46-55)

    46. My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
    47. and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
    48. for he has looked upon his handmaid in her lowliness;
    for behold, from this day forward,
    all generations will call me blessed.

    49. For the Almighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
    50. His mercy is from age to age
    for those who fear him.

    51. He has made known the strength of his arm,
    and has scattered the proud in their conceit of heart.
    52. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
    and has exalted those who are lowly.
    53. He has filled the hungry with good things,
    and has sent the rich away empty.

    54. He has helped his servant Israel,
    mindful of his mercy,
    55. even as he promised to our fathers,
    to Abraham and his descendants forever.


    *Pun intended.
    Thanked by 3GerardH drforjc CHGiffen
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 548
    Psalm 1:3: surely “flower waters” must be a mistake?
    Thanked by 1Salieri
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Yes. Typo. (Corrected.)
  • marymezzomarymezzo
    Posts: 236
    I for my part am grateful that now we can hope to dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days unending rather than "for years to come." That's always stuck in my craw.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen ServiamScores ncicero
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    The insistence on Inclusive Language, so called, is a philosophically and morally bankrupt position: it intends to make the truth bend to a particularly virulent modern ideology (and therefore is morally bankrupt) whose principles are at variance with truth (and therefore philosophically bankrupt).

    That said, these translations actually seem accurate, and are lacking the usual 5-legged elephant with a giraffe's neck.
    Thanked by 2Jehan_Boutte hilluminar
  • Jehan_Boutte
    Posts: 264
    While English is not my first language, which makes it hard to judge correctly this work, I find the translation quite good and elegant.
  • Schönbergian
    Posts: 1,063
    Finally, a translation for American Catholicism that makes the NRSV look worse by comparison.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • drforjc
    Posts: 38
    At least we won't be "revive(ing) my drooping spirit" any longer (Ps. 23)
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    Post Psalm 122 and we'll know for sure if this is good!
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Psalm 122

    1. A Song of Ascents. Of David.

    I rejoiced when they said to me,
    "Let us go to the house of the LORD."
    2. And now our feet our standing
    within your gates, O Jerusalem.

    3. Jerusalem is built as a city
    bonded as one together.
    4. It is there that the tribes go up,
    the tribes of the Lord,
    as it is decreed for Israel,
    to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

    5. There were set the thrones for judgment,
    the thrones of the house of David.
    6. For the peace of Jersusalem pray,
    "May they prosper, those who love you."
    7. May peace abide in your walls,
    and security be in your towers.

    8. For the sake of my family and friends,
    let me say, "Peace upon you."
    9. For the sake of the house of the LORD, our God,
    I will seek good things for you.


    For comparison, here is the same from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer:

    1. I was glad when they said to me, *
    "Let us go to the house of the LORD."

    2. Now our feet are standing *
    within your gates, O Jerusalem.

    3. Jerusalem is built as a city *
    that is at unity with itself;

    4. To which the tribes go up,
    the tribes of the LORD, *
    the assembly of Israel,
    to praise the Name of the LORD.

    5. For there are the thrones of judgment, *
    the thrones of the house of David.

    6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: *
    "May they prosper who love you.

    7. Peace be within your walls *
    and quietness within your towers.

    8. For my brethren and companion's sake, *
    I pray for your prosperity.

    9. Because of the house of the LORD our God,
    I will seek to do you good."
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Jehan_Boutte ServiamScores
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 904
    Does anyone know if they plan to include the * and + signs in the revised breviary so that one could sing antiphonally reading from the breviary?

    I recall reading somewhere that the spacing between groups of verses (often 4 and 6 lines) were done so that the psalms could be sung responsorially, but in the office, they should be sung antiphonally. The way e-breviary and i-breviary present the psalms they preserve the line breaks (which is how most people read the breviary), but they also include the flex and mediant signs so that they could be sung antiphonally albeit without specific pointing.

    By comparison the Mundeline Psalter eliminates all the line breaks, but includes the + and * signs which allows for the psalm to printed in less space on the page. Personally, I prefer it that way, even for reading, but I doubt that is how it will be printed.
  • MonasticChantress
    Posts: 10
    Thank you for posting this! We had heard other religious communities singing what was purported to be "the Psalms that will be in the new edition of the breviary" and were dismayed by the gender-neutral translation. Now it seems clear that they must have been using a previous edition. The one you have posted seems quite good, although any change will take some getting used to since we have the current version basically memorized.

    I also have been wondering about the marks for choir-to-choir choral singing. Whether they arrange it in a "tight" format, or in the current "loose" format doesn't matter so much as whether they mark the "flectio"s. Marking those in by hand to a new 4-volume set of books for a whole community takes a long time.
    Thanked by 1Earl_Grey
  • monasteryliturgistmonasteryliturgist
    Posts: 309
    Does anyone mind sending me the new version of this particular canticle?


    Revelation 4: 11; 5:9, 10, 12 Below the version of the current LOH
    O Lord our God, you are worthy *
    to receive glory and honor and power
    For you have created all things*
    by your will they came to be and were made.
    Worthy are you, O Lord*
    to receive the scroll and break open its seals.
    For you were slain*
    with your blood you purchased for God
    Men of every race and tongue *
    of every people and nation
    You made of them a kingdom†
    and priests to serve our God*
    and they shall reign on the earth
    Worthy is the Lamb that was slain*
    to receive power and riches
    Wisdom and Strength*
    honor and glory and praise
    Glory to the Father and to the Son*
    and to the Holy Spirit
    As it was in the beginning is now *
    and will be forever Amen.
  • RevAMG
    Posts: 162
    Revelation 4:11, 5:9b–10, 12b

    Worthy are you, O Lord, our God
    to receive glory and honor and power,
    for you have created all things
    and by your will they came to be and
         were created.

    Worthy are you, O Lord, to receive the scroll
    and to break open its seals,
    for you were slain
    and with your blood you have ransomed for God
    those from every tribe and tongue,
    and every people and nation:

    And made them a kingdom and priests for
          our God,
    and they shall reign on the earth.

    Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
    to recieve power and riches and wisdom,
    strength and honor, and glory and blessing.

    © 2018, USCCB.
    Thanked by 2drforjc CHGiffen
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