Latin Psalters
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There exist a number of translations of the
These translations are typically placed in a separate volume or a section of the breviary called the psalter, in which the psalms are arranged to be prayed at the canonical hours of the day. In the Middle Ages, psalters were often lavish illuminated manuscripts, and in the Romanesque and early Gothic period were the type of book most often chosen to be richly illuminated.
Versions
The
Versio Vetus Latina
Also called the Psalterium Vetus, the psalter of the
A 12th-century Latin bible from Monte Cassino (Ms. Cas. 557) preserves, alongside the Roman, Gallican and Iuxta Hebraeos psalters, a fourth complete version of the psalms extensively corrected with reference to the columns of the Hexapla Greek, possibly using a columnar transcription of the Hexapla psalter similar to that surviving in Milan. The underlying Latin text for this manuscript is believed to correspond with an early 3rd-century 'Cyprianic Psalter'.[1]
Versio Ambrosiana
This is the version used in the
Versio Mozarabica
This is the version used in the
Versio Romana
The Roman Psalter, called also the Versio Romana or Psalterium Romanum, was traditionally identified with Jerome's first revision of the psalms completed in 384; which was thought to have been made from the Versio Vetus Latina, with cursory corrections to bring it more in line with the psalms in the common Greek text of the Septuagint. More recent scholarship rejects this theory.[3] The Roman Psalter is indeed one of five known revised versions of the mid-4th century Old Latin Psalter; but, compared with the four others the revisions in the Roman Psalter are in clumsy Latin and signally fail to follow Jerome's known translational principles, especially in failing to correct harmonised readings. Nevertheless, it is clear from Jerome's correspondence (especially in the long and detailed Epistle 106) that he was familiar with this psalter text, albeit without ever admitting any responsibility for it; and consequently it is assumed that the surviving Versio Romana represents the minimally revised Roman text as Jerome had found it.[4]
The Roman version is retained in the
Versio Gallicana
The Versio Gallicana or Psalterium Gallicanum, also known as the Gallican Psalter (so called because it became spread in Gaul from the 9th century onward[6]) has traditionally been considered Jerome's second Latin translation of the Psalms, which he made from the Greek of the Hexapla between 386 and 389.[7] This became the psalter of the Sixto-Clementine Vulgate bible.[6]
This most influential psalter has a distinctive style which is attributable to its origins as a translation of the Septuagint.[8] Following the Septuagint, it eschews anthropomorphisms. For instance, the term rock is applied to God numerous times in the Hebrew Psalter, but the Latin term petra does not occur as an epithet for God in the gallicana. Instead more abstract words like refugium, "refuge"; locus munitus, "place of strength"; or adiutor, "helper" are used.[9]
Versio juxta Hebraicum
The versio juxta Hebraicum or versio iuxta Hebraeos was the last made by Jerome. It is often informally called the "Hebrew Psalter" despite being written in Latin. Rather than just revise the Gallicana, he translated these psalms anew from the
Versio Piana
Under
Versio Nova Vulgata
In 1969, a new psalter was published which translated the
Comparison
Below is a comparison of Jerome's two versions of the first three verses of the psalm Venite exsultemus (psalm 94 (95)) with the Vetus Latina, Ambrosiana, Mozarabica, Romana, Gallicana, and Hebraicum versions, as well as the two 20th century versions (Piana and Nova Vulgata), which illustrates some of the distinctions noted above:
Versio Vetus Latina[19] | Versio Ambrosiana[20] | Versio Mozarabica[21] | Versio Romana[22][23] | Versio Gallicana[24][25] | Versio juxta Hebraicum[26] | Versio Piana[24][27] | Versio Nova Vulgata[28] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Psalmus 94 | Psalmus 94 | Psalmus 94 | Psalmus 94 | Psalmus 94 | Psalmus 94 | Psalmus 94 | Psalmus 94 (95) |
Venite, exultemus in Domino: jubilemus Deo salutari nostro. | Venite, exultemus Domino: jubilemus Deo salutari nostro. | Venite, exultemus in domino, iubilemus deo saluatori nostro. | Venite, exsultemus Domino; iubilemus Deo salutari nostro. | Venite, exsultemus Domino; jubilemus Deo salutari nostro; | Venite laudemus Dominum iubilemus petrae Iesu nostro | Venite, exsultemus Domino, Acclamemus Petrae salutis nostrae: | Venite, exsultemus Domino; iubilemus Deo salutari nostro. |
Præveniamus vultum ejus in confessionem: et in psalmis jubilemus ei. | Præveniamus faciem ejus in confessione: et in psalmis jubilemus illi. | Preoccupemus faciem eius in confessione, et in psalmis iubilemus ei. | Præoccupemus faciem eius in confessione, et in psalmis iubilemus ei. | præoccupemus faciem ejus in confessione, et in psalmis jubilemus ei: | praeoccupemus vultum eius in actione gratiarum in canticis iubilemus ei | Accedamus in conspectum eius cum laudibus, Cum canticis exsultemus ei. | Praeoccupemus faciem eius in confessione et in psalmis iubilemus ei. |
Quia Deus magnus est, et rex magnus super omnes deos: quia non repelet Dominus populum suum. | Quoniam Deus magnus Dominus: et Rex magnus super omnes deos. | Quoniam deus magnus dominus, rex magnus super omnem terram. | Quoniam Deus magnus Dominus, et rex magnus super omnes deos. | quoniam Deus magnus Dominus, et rex magnus super omnes deos. | quoniam fortis et magnus Dominus et rex magnus super omnes deos | Nam Deus magnus est Dominus, Et Rex magnus super omnes deos. | Quoniam Deus magnus Dominus, et rex magnus super omnes deos. |
Enumeration
The enumeration of the psalms differs in the Nova Vulgata from that used in the earlier versions. The earlier versions take their enumeration from the Greek Septuagint. The Versio Nova Vulgata takes its enumeration from the Hebrew Masoretic Text.
Old enumeration used by the Vulgate and other early versions; taken from the Septuagint | New enumeration used by the Versio Nova Vulgata and most modern English bibles; taken from the Masoretic Text |
---|---|
1-8 | |
9 | 9-10 |
10-112 | 11-113 |
113 | 114-115 |
114-115 | 116 |
116-145 | 117-146 |
146-147 | 147 |
148-150 |
- Psalms 9 and 10 in the Nova Vulgata are together as Psalm 9 in the older versions
- Psalms 114 and 115 in the Nova Vulgata are Psalm 113 in the older versions
- Psalms 114 and 115 in the older versions appear as Psalm 116 in the Nova Vulgata
- Psalms 146 and 147 in the older versions form Psalm 147 in the Nova Vulgata
- Psalms 10-112 and 116-145 (132 out of the 150) in the older versions are numbered lower by one than the same psalm in the Nova Vulgata.
- Psalms 1-8 and 148-150, 11 psalms in total, are numbered the same in both the old versions and the new one.
Divisions
Apart from the schemata described below, it was customary in medieval psalters to divide the text of the psalms in numerical sequence into sections or divisions, the start of which were typically marked by a much larger and more decorated initial letter than for the other psalms. The "B" of Psalm 1,
Schemata
A scheme (Latin schema, plural schemata) is an arrangement of all or most of the psalms for distribution to the various canonical hours. In addition to the psalms proper, these schemata typically include psalm-like canticles from other books of the Bible. Historically, these schemata have distributed the entire 150 psalms with added canticles over a period of one week, although the 1971 Liturgy of the Hours omits a few psalms and some verses and distributes the remainder over a 4-week cycle. Some of the more important schemes are detailed below.[30][31]
In addition to the rotating schema, the order of service has
Schema of Pope Pius V
As commissioned by the
This scheme was used by many religious orders as well, such as the Dominicans[34] (of which Pope Pius V was a member[35]).
Schema of Pope Pius X
In 1911, Pope Pius X reformed the Roman Breviary, re-arranging the psalms into a new scheme[d] so that there was less repetition and so that each day of the week had approximately the same amount of psalm-chanting.
Psalm 94 (the Invitiatory) was recited every day at the beginning of Matins. With
Schema of Pope Paul VI
In 1971 with the release of a new edition of the Divine Office under Pope Paul VI, the Liturgia Horarum, a new schema[e] was introduced which distributed 147 of the 150 psalms across a four-week cycle.
Notes
- ^ Augustin Bea's book Il nuovo Salterio Latino. Chiarimenti sull'origine e lo spirito della traduzione, Rome, 1946 (published in English in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 1 (January, 1946), pp. 4-35) explains in details the criteria and the reasons for his version.
- ^ Available here.
- ^ Available here.
- ^ Available here.
- ^ Available here.
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-3-11-047158-8.
- ^ a b "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Breviary". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- ^ Goins, Scott (2014). "Jerome's Psalters". In Brown, William P. (ed.). Oxford Handbook to the Psalms. Oxford University Press. p. 188.
- ISBN 9783110471588.
- ^ Cattin, Giulio. Musica e Liturgia a San Marco. Edizione Fondazione Levi. pp. 57–59.
- ^ ISBN 978-2-204-12618-2.
- ISBN 978-2-204-12618-2.
- Clarendon Press.
- ^ Nova Vulgata Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio, Praenotanda, IN PSALTERIO, Editio typica altera
- ^ Angus, Samuel (1915). "Latin Vulgate (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)". www.bible-researcher.com. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- ISBN 978-3-438-05303-9.
- ISBN 978-2-204-12618-2.
- ^ ISBN 84-7914-021-6.
Vulgatae textui addimus in altera columna novam versionem latinam Instituti Biblici a Pio XII pro usu liturgico approbatam, die 24 martii 1945.
- ISBN 9789004243477.
- ^ a b "De Novae Psalmorum Conversionis Latinae usu in Persolvendo Divino Officio" (PDF). Acta Apostolicae Sedis. 37: 65–67. 1945.
- ^ "Compendium of the Reforms of the Roman Breviary, 1568 - 1961: Part 8.2 - The New Psalter of Pius XII and Card. Bea". New Liturgical Movement. Retrieved 2022-09-05.
- JSTOR 43724418– via JSTOR.
- ^ Liturgia Horarum iuxta ritum Romanum: Editio typica altera, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2000, Vol. III, p. 9, item 3
- ^ Sabatier, Pierre; de La Rue, Vincent (1743). Bibliorum Sacrorum latinae versiones antiquae : seu, Vetus italica, et caeterae quaecunque in codicibus mss. & antiquorum libris reperiri potuerunt : quae cum Vulgata latina, & cum textu graeco comparantur. Vol. 2. Princeton Theological Seminary Library. Remis : Apud Reginaldum Florentain. pp. 189.
- ^ Breviarium Ambrosianum (in Latin). Vol. Pars aestiva. Joannis Bernardonii. 1830. pp. 98–99.
- ^ Gilson, J. P. (Julius Parnell) (1905). The Mozarabic psalter (MS. British Museum, Add. 30, 851.). University of California Libraries. London, [Harrison and Sons, Printers]. pp. 83–84.
- ISBN 2-85274-076-1
- ^ "Psalterium Romanum". www.liberpsalmorum.info. Retrieved 2019-08-14.
- ^ ISBN 84-7914-021-6.
- ^ From the Clementine Psalter
- .
- ^ "Psalterium Pianum". www.liberpsalmorum.info. Retrieved 2019-08-14.
- ^ "LIBER PSALMORUM - Nova Vulgata, Vetus Testamentum". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- ^ McKendrick, Scott, Lowden, John and Doyle, Kathleen, (eds), Royal Manuscripts, The Genius of Illumination, p. 269, 2011, British Library, 9780712358156
- ^ "'Psalter Schemas' by Theo Keller". kellerbook.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Breviary". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
- ^ The Roman breviary: reformed by order of the Holy oecumenical council of Trent: published by order of Pope St. Pius V. William Blackwood and Sons. 1908. pp. 1–213.
- ^ "Pre-Pius X Psalter (up to 1911)". gregorianbooks.com. January 14, 2018.
- ^ Cormier, Hyacinthus (1909). Breviarium Juxta Ritum S. Ordinis Praedicatorum (PDF). Roma. pp. 1–153.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Saint Pius V | pope". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
- ^ The Hours of the Divine Office in English and Latin: a bilingual edition of the Roman Breviary text, in three volumes. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press. 1964.
External links
Latin psalters
- Vetus Latina psalter (pp. 9–293) Latin text
- Breviarium Ambrosianum Latin text
- Psalterium Romanum Latin text
- Psalterium Gallicanum Latin text
- Psalterium juxta Hebraicum (also available here) Latin text
- Psalterium Mozarabicum Latin text
- Psalterium Pianum Latin text
- Psalterium Neo-Vulgatum Latin text
- Liturgia Horarum Online A very nice, practical and versatile version to read the psalter online.
- Liberpsalmorum.info A list of the different Latin psalters from the Vetus Latina to the Nova Vulgata.
Miscellaneous
- Theo Keller's comparison of the psalm De profundis, giving the Roman, Gallican, Pian, and Neo-Vulgate versions of psalm 129.
- Fr. John Zuhlsdorf's comparison of the psalm Beatus vir, giving the Roman, Gallican, Neo-vulgate, Pian, and Ambrosian versions of psalm 1.
- Theo Keller's tables of historical psalter schemas. Includes the four choices of the Psalterium Monasticum above
Further reading
- Mohrmann, Christine (1961). "The New Latin Psalter: Its Diction and Style". Études sur le latin des chrétiens, Latin chrétien et médiéval (in French and English). Vol. II. Ed. di Storia e Letteratura. pp. 109–131.