Official Psalm Translation for Antiphons?
  • JNS
    Posts: 7
    Hi, All:

    I'm sorry if this is dealt with in one or many other places, but I had trouble locating an answer. My question is this:

    I know that the USCCB voted on the Revised Grail Psalter for the liturgy, and that it will be a while before we actually here it at Mass. I also noticed that is the translation used in the SEPs. But is it necessary to use that translation, or does any Catholic Psalm translation work for the antiphons? -- meaning not the Introit, etc. antiphons themselves, but the Psalm verses you would sing antiphonally with them. Is any good Catholic translation of the Psalms good here, or does it have to be the RGP?

    Thanks!
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Here's the situation as I understand it:

    In the US lectionary, the translation is from the NAB. Before the RGP was released and approved, that was the only approved liturgical psalm translation for the US. For the responsorial psalm, an approved translation (ie, NAB, and now RGP) must be used. For other parts of the Mass, you're technically free to use any translation, but it's recommended and somewhat assumed you use an approved one. Eventually, the RGP will be the new official translation (presumably leaving behind the NAB), but there's one catch: that can't really happen until the entire lectionary is revised, which even if started right now, would take many years.

    So right now, you can use either, but if you ask me, it'd be good to start using the RGP when writing music, simply from a "forward compatibility" standpoint.

    And please, someone correct me if I'm missing something or messing up facts here...this was all off the top of my head.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    With the freedom to use other translations for the Psalm verses of the Introit, I have been using the Psalter from the Book of Divine Worship in the Hymn Tune Introits, principally because I feel it is better suited to psalmody with Anglican chant music.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,092
    If you're singing (as opposed to reciting) the Responsorial Psalm, the US adaptations for the GIRM provides any translation previously approved for liturgical use can be used (unless and until that approval is abrogated, which hasn't happened to any such translation, so far as we are aware). We've had a thread a couple of years ago reviewing all the options....
  • Paul F. Ford
    Posts: 864
    JNS, the answers that Liam, CH, and Ben have given you are correct.
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