Latin Psalters

The Latin Psalters are the translations of the Book of Psalms into the Latin language. They are the premier liturgical resource used in the Liturgy of the Hours of the Latin Rites of the Roman Catholic Church. These translations are typically placed in a separate volume or 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 Gothic period were the type of book most often chosen to be richly illuminated by the clergy.

Versions

Versio Vetus Latina

Also called the "Psalterium Vetus", the psalter of the Old Latin Bible was used in the earliest days of the Latin liturgy in Rome, under Pope Damasus. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02768b.htm "Breviary", "The Catholic Encyclopedia", 1917] ] A translation from the Septuagint, it provided the basis for Jerome's first revision of the psalter.

Versio Ambrosiana

This is the version used in the Ambrosian rite. It was made in the middle of the fourth fourth century from the Septuagint.

Versio Romana

The Roman Psalter, called also the "Versio Romana" or "Psalterium Romanum", traditionally has been considered to be the same as Jerome's first revision of the psalms completed in 384, which was made from the "Versio Vetus Latina", and corrected to bring it more in line with the Greek psalms. The Roman version was used in the Roman Missal well into the 20th century. In the Divine Office, however, it was soon replaced by Jerome's second version except in Britain, where it continued to be used until the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is still used today in the Vatican basilica and in St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice. It is similar to the version used in the Ambrosian [ [http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=10 Article on Saint Jerome, "Catholic Online"] ] and Mozarabic rites.

Versio Gallicana

The "Versio Gallicana" or "Psalterium Gallicanum" was Jerome's second revision, which he made from the Greek of the Hexapla ca. 386-391. This became the psalter of the Vulgate bible, and the basis for Gregorian chant. It became the standard psalter used in the canonical hours throughout the West from the time of Charlemagne until it was replaced in the 2nd edition of the breviary by the "Versio Nova Vulgata" in 2000. It is still used today by indult in some monasteries and churches and by traditionalist Catholics.

This most influential psalter has a unique style which is attributable to its origins as a translation of the Septuagint."A Grammar of the Vulgate", W.E. Plater and H.J. White, Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1926] 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."Nova Vulgata Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio", [http://www.vatican.va/archive/bible/nova_vulgata/documents/nova-vulgata_praenotanda_lt.html Praenotanda] , "IN PSALTERIO", Editio typica altera]

This psalter retains many Hebraisms by way of the Greek, the most noticeable being the redundant demonstrative. The relative pronoun is indeclinable in Hebrew, and so is accompanied by a redundant demonstrative. This use is reproduced in the Latin, although Latin has no need for it. For instance, Ps 18:4(19:3), "quorum non audiantur voces eorum", which means, "whose voices, their voices, are not heard". Also Ps 32(33):12, "Beata gens cujus est Dominus Deus ejus", "blessed is the nation whose God, its God, is the Lord". Ps 121(122):3, "civitas, cujus participatio ejus in idipsum", "a city whose share, its share, is compact".

Another Hebraism is the use of the conditional "if" to mean the negative "not". Examples include Ps 88:36(89:34), "si David mentiar", "if I lie to David", which means, "I will not lie to David". Ps 94(95):11, "Si introibunt in requiem meam", "if they shall enter into my rest", which means, "they shall not enter into my rest. Ps 131(132):3, "Si introiero in tabernaculum domus meae", "If I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house", which means, "I shall not enter into the tabernacle of my house". Ps 130(131) has a double negative, "Si non humiliter sentiebam sed exaltavi animam meam", "If I was not humbly minded but exalted my soul", which is equivalent to "I was humbly minded and did not exalt my soul".

Hebrew has only two grammatical genders, masculine and feminine, while Latin has three, including neuter. Hebrew's lack of a neuter gender sometimes shows up in very idiosyncratic phrasing in the Gallican Psalter, for instance Ps. 26(27):4, "unam petii a Domino, hanc requiram", "One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after", where "thing" is rendered feminine in the verse. A native speaker of Latin would have used a neuter instead: "Unum petii a Domino, hoc requiram".

Latin occasionally employs a dangling nominative for rhetorical flourish, but this construction is especially common in the "gallicana". Ps. 17(18):31 has, "Deus meus, impolluta via ejus", "my God, his way is undefiled" to mean, "the way of my God is undefiled. Likewise Ps. 125(126):1 has, "In convertendo Dominus captivitatem Sion", instead of, "Cum converteret Dominus captivitatem Sion", meaning, "When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion".

Versio juxta Hebraicum

This version 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 Hebrew, using pre-Masoretic manuscripts ca. 398-405. This psalter is found in a few of the oldest surviving manuscripts of the Vulgate. It was found in Spanish manuscripts of the Vulgate long after the Gallicanum supplanted it elsewhere. [Prefaces of the Stuttgart Vulgate, "Biblia Sacra Vulgata", American Bible Society, ISBN 3-438-05303-9] It is not clear that it was ever used in the liturgy.

Versio Piana

Under Pius XII in 1945, a new translation of the psalms, the "Versio Piana", "Psalterium Vaticanum" or simply "Novum Psalterium", was published by the Pontifical Biblical Institute. It was made from a reconstructed Hebrew text based largely on the Masoretic. Its Latin adopted a classical rather than a biblical style. This version is sometimes called the Bea psalter after its author, Augustin Bea. [The New Latin Psalter, by Augustin Bea, explains in detail the criteria and the reasons for his version] Its use in the liturgy was widely encouraged but not required. It was adopted by some religious orders (e.g. Carmelites and Franciscans) for use in their liturgy, but its use was resisted in some quarters. [ [http://inillotempore.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=481 Translation from the Dutch of a review by Christine Mohrmann, 1953] ] It can be found in most breviaries printed between 1945 and 1971. Most Roman Catholics born in the 1930s grew up with the Versio Piana and it was the preferred version in many places.

Versio Nova Vulgata

In 1969, a new psalter was published which translated the Masoretic text while keeping much of the poetry and style of the Gallican psalter. It has proved to be a popular alternative to Jerome's "Gallicana". The 1969 psalter follows the Masoretic numbering of the psalms, so Psalm 23 begins "Dominus pascit me." It is the psalter used in the present day Roman breviary."Liturgia Horarum iuxta ritum Romanum", Editio typica altera, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2000]

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.

Week 2

The second week of the psalter is used for the second week of Advent, the week beginning with the first Sunday falling on or after January 1st, the weeks beginning on the second and sixth Sundays of Lent, the second and sixth weeks of Easter, and the 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, 18th, 22nd, 26th, 30th, and 34th weeks of Ordinary Time.

Missing psalms and verses

The psalms missing from this schema are 57(58), 82(83), and 108(109). The missing verses are:
* 5,11
* 20(21),9-13
* 27(28),4-5
* 30(31),18-19
* 34(35),3a-3b. 4-8. 20-21. 24-26
* 39(40),15-16
* 53(54),2. 7
* 54(55),16
* 55(56),7c-8
* 58(59),6-9. 12-16
* 62(63),10-12
* 68(69),23-29
* 78(79),6-7. 12
* 109(110),6
* 136(137),7-9
* 138(139),19-22
* 139(140),10-12
* 140(141),10
* 142(143),12

Although the Invitatory, i.e. psalm 94(95), is missing from the psalter, it is present in the ordinary and is thus chanted every day. Psalms 77(78), 104(105), and 105(106) are sung only during Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter.

Psalterium Monasticum

The "Psalterium Monasticum" is a book produced by the monks of Solesmes Abbey in 1981. It contains a one week cycle for the chanting of all 150 psalms. This schema was produced for use in the reformed liturgy of 1971 as an alternative to the 4-week scheme of Paul VI.

External links

* [http://www.almudi.org/Portals/0/docs/Breviario/fuentes/breviario.html Liturgia Horarum Online] A very nice, practical and versatile version to pray the psalter on line.

* [http://www.kellerbook.com/LANGUA~1.HTM Theo Keller's comparison] of the psalm "De profundis", giving the Roman, Gallican, Pian, and Neo-vulgate versions of psalm 129.

* [http://wdtprs.com/blog/2008/08/breviary-psalter-variations-drilling-into-psalm-1/ Fr. John Zuhlsdorf's comparison] of the psalm "Beatus vir", giving the Roman, Gallican, Neo-vulgate, Pian, and Ambrosian versions of psalm 1.

Notes