English is spoken by a billion people, the overwhelming majority of whom have no facility in Latin.i don't believe they should be denied this unique font of the Tradition.

What if they don't feel deprived?

Matthew

I don't disagree; I am champion of the idea that oft-encountered texts can bear a higher register of language (including Latin), because of their percolative potential. I have long advocated that the Latin texts are part of the birthright heritage of Catholics, and even if they have been - functionally - estranged from them, it is the duty of pastors and music ministers to undertake reasonable efforts to undo that estrangement, so that they don't sound strange and unfamiliar: if the reaction of typical, reasonable PIPs is "what the heck is that?" it's a sign of Work To Do, not Work To Be Avoided.

That said, I don't think retaining the purity of the Latin to the *exclusion* of good vernacular translations is reasonable principle purpose in the OF. Latin and vernacular are mutually strengthened by coexistence. Therefore, I think the work Kathy does is just as vital a part of the larger work to be done.

I did not say exclude the vernacular... the translation should be printed side by side, but the Latin should be sung.

Entire generations have largely been deprived of Latin.

Yes, and that is a shame. Yet, I think it unwise and unrealistic to dream of a time when the entire Latin Church will come back to an all-Latin Liturgy. Therefore, one has to consider how to properly incorporate the vernacular into the Church's worship.

I am in favor of rhyme in most cases. It adds beauty and richness to the text, and makes it more memorable. Somehow rhyme "harmonizes" with melody in performance so that, when it is done well, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Here are some examples of my work that will, I trust, illustrate what I mean. https://www.ubiclaritas.com/translations/

Wow! This is a treasure trove! I love your translation of Iam Lucis Orto Sidere. This would be a very good hymn for early Lent or Ash Wednesday next year, as well as it's proper day in the Office. Thank you, Fr. Buffer.

Iam lucis orto sidere
Deum precemur supplices,
ut in diurnis actibus
nos servet a nocentibus.

Linguam refrenans temperet,
ne litis horror insonet;
visum fovendo contegat,
ne vanitates hauriat.

Sint pura cordis intima,
absistat et vecordia;
carnis terat superbiam
potus cibusque parcitas;

Ut, cum dies abscesserit
noctemque sors reduxerit,
mundi per abstinentiam
ipsi canamus gloriam.

Deo Patri sit gloria
eiusque soli Filio
cum Spiritu Paraclito,
in sempiterna saecula. Amen.

Now that the sun is risen high,
We bow to God, and humbly pray
That he preserve us from all harm
In every act we do today.

The tongue to bridle, lest it sound
With grating strife or with unease;
To watch our eyes, and cover them,
Lest vision drink in vanities.

Deep in the heart may all be pure,
And folly find no place within;
May sparing use of food and drink
Tread down the pride of flesh and sin.

That, when the day at last retires,
And nature’s law brings back the night,
We may, by abstinence kept clean,
Sing glory to our God in light.

To God the Father glory be,
And to the Christ, his only Son,
And to the Spirit Paraclete:
One God, while endless ages run. Amen.

And here are more!

http://translations.ipsissima-verba.org/iesu-redemptor-saeculi.html

@Fr_Buffer
Your translations are wonderful! Even though I prefer "thee, thou" instead of "you" when it comes to English poetry, this is an excellent work, a work you can be proud of.

Fr. Buffer has translated one of my favorite hymns. I call it "the one about the rooster." It's one of the few hymns that we can absolutely attribute to St. Ambrose, because St. Augustine mentioned it. Ambrose wrote hymns for his flock to encourage them during a "lockdown," when they occupied the cathedral night and day to keep the Arians from taking it over.

https://www.ubiclaritas.com/hymn/aeterne-rerum-conditor-eternal-maker-of-the-world/

It's a marvelous hymn that refers to St. Peter's awakening to repentance.

No modern hymn writer would think of writing a hymn about a rooster.

There are Latin hymns involving giants, monsters, and creeping things. One calls God "the author of [Christ's] advent here." One talks about Mary as a living ladder, by whom Jesus came to earth, and asks that we may climb the same ladder to the skies. Their daring far exceeds ours--and imitates that of Scripture.

While I have no quarrel with Francis' preference for Latinn as our Rite's sacral language, I would prefer that this simple yet profound, imaginative yet theological, devout, attractive, luminous treasury of genius religious poetry be made singable and memorizable (which is to say rhyming) for our time.

@Kathy

And after all this, you have to remember I am publishing a hymnal (mostly in the vernacular) to heighten the sacrality of the NO, using Caswall, Faber, etc. There is plenty of room for vernacular hymn in the devout life of a Catholic who sings throughout the day, every day.., LOH, devotions, processions, stations, etc.

And do please remember I have also set numerous English hymns by writers on this forum and one of my vernacular hymns is published in a common hymnal you may have on your shelf.

Do keep the craft alive and flourishing. God bless you.

We sang this yesterday but I wonder if the translation is a better hymn text, https://societyofstbede.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/hymnumdicamusdomino.pdf

More translations of Daniel Joseph DONAHOE, can be found here, https://holybooks-lichtenbergpress.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Early-Christian-Hymns.pdf

@MJO
While I have a long list of jobs to do, I have left them undone and have been reading this book over the last hour... I then decided to find a little more about the Author, and find this is the first of a two volume set... https://archive.org/details/EarlyChristianHymnsSeriesII/page/n1/mode/2up