Altering text for Liturgy of the Hours
  • DTBDTB
    Posts: 2
    My question is regarding what degree of freedom composers have in adapting the texts of the Liturgy of the Hours.

    There seems to be nothing in the GILH regarding this issue. Given the GIRM's broad allowance for adapting proper texts in the Mass I would assume that some flexibility would be permitted for the Liturgy of the Hours as well. But I want to make sure that I am not overstepping my bounds by having unapproved texts sung at Vespers.

    Attached below (PDF) is an example of what I am doing. This is my original translation of the Magnificat antiphon from Evening Prayer II of the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Below are the approved texts in Latin and English, followed by the translation I did.

    Latin antiphon
    Beáta es, María, quæ credidísti:
    perficiéntur in te quæ dicta sunt tibi a Dómino.

    ICEL translation
    Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, for your great faith;
    all that the Lord promised you will come to pass through you.

    My translation
    Blesséd art thou, Virgin Mary: O thou who didst believe!
    For all the Lord hath promiséd shall be brought forth from thee.

    If you know (1) of any official permission for me to make these types of alterations; or else, (2) whether/how it is possible to request this permission, please let me know. Thank you!

    Daniel

    image
    Beata es Maria – Magnificat Antiphon.pdf
    71K
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,211
    In one sense, there's a lot of freedom: people who don't have a canonical obligation to pray the Office (i.e., most lay people) are free to use adaptations. And a priest who joins them is free to follow what they customarily do.

    If you want to be sure, you can ask your diocesan Office for Worship for any permissions needed.

    Incidentally, here's the UK/Ireland translation:
    Blessed are you, Mary, because you believed that all those things which were said to you by the Lord will be fulfilled.
    Thanked by 1DTB
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    But on the other hand, if you want to actually celebrate vespers (not something like vespers), you do have to follow the texts of the office exactly. Other than a "And with your spirit," and using the corresponding collect from the Mass (ie, using a better translation of the same text), it is now allowed to modify the texts of the LOTH. When you do, it ceases to be the prayer of the church.

    I'll confess, we don't have the greatest translation for LOTH, but similarly, when the gloria in the Mass was translated badly, and any first year latin student might have been able to do a better job, we still had to use it. Same situation with the LOTH.

    There's great value in praying with the church, instead of praying something like the prayer of the church. There's actually a document stating that, but I can't currently find it.
  • DTBDTB
    Posts: 2
    Thanks, chonak. That's helpful. I'll check in with the liturgy office to get their input.

    However, I'm still wondering what documents (if any) govern the composition and use of music in the Liturgy of the Hours? The GILH clearly encourages singing but doesn't give composers or music directors any indication of what that should look like.

    Sing to the Lord ¶233, quoting the GILH says that "the substitution of other approved texts for these refrains [antiphons]" may be used. I'm not sure if that only means the use of other antiphons and the scriptural/patristic verses as found in the ICEL books, or if they interpret it more broadly. If more broadly, I wonder who is ordinarily authorized to grant approval of texts? What becomes really puzzling is that in ¶236 the use of metrical psalms is endorsed, including the composition of new metrical psalters and melodies, "provided that the metrical text is faithful to the sacred text of the original psalm." It would seem exceeding strange if I could totally write my own metrical translations of the psalms while being required to use ICEL's rendering of the antiphons.
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