Favorite translation of the canticles?
  • VioletThreadsVioletThreads
    Posts: 20
    I've gotten more comfortable adapting tones and tunes, but have yet to find a translation of the canticles that I'm just wild about. Any suggestions? The Episcopal Church Hymnal has most of them set (I think) but I've not looked at them in some time.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    Well, of course, Miles Coverdale and Prayer Book English is your answer.
    Thanked by 4CHGiffen Patricia Cecilia Gamba Nisi
  • VioletThreadsVioletThreads
    Posts: 20
    No thanks.
    Thanked by 1GerardH
  • JMJones
    Posts: 68
    I have used some of these: https://www.englishtexts.org/ You can also use them freely.
  • Nisi
    Posts: 146
    VioletThreads, Miles Coverdale made what is generally considered to be the most beautiful and artful translation of the Psalter in our language. Take a second look :)
    Also explore the 1958 Mass and Vespers for beautiful translations of any Proper text you could possibly need: https://media.musicasacra.com/books/massandvespers.pdf
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen sdtalley3
  • VioletThreadsVioletThreads
    Posts: 20
    @nisi I agree, it's beautiful. But it's not what I want. I don't want archaic language.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    An acceptable alternative to Coverdale is the rite two psalter of the American 1979 Book of Common Prayer. I have found no other 'modern English' psalter that compares to it.
    You might look into it and consider it. It's really quite good - and especially good for singing.

    (I must interject that it is not really right to think of Coverdale or Prayer Book English as 'archaic' - they are truly heiratic, a sacred language which is used only in the worship of God, is timeless, not bound in time, never 'archaic'. But, I do appreciate that there are times and places at which they may not be preferred.)
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen WGS
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