Original Grail Psalms Pdf
Denisha Padley
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued its recognitio for the Revised Grail Psalms for use in the liturgy in the United States on March 19, 2010 (Prot. n. 172/09/L). On January 3, 2011, the text of these psalms was published in two versions (for study and for singing) by GIA Publications. The reasons for the revision of the well-known and much appreciated Grail Psalms (1963) are presented here, as well as an example of the old and new versions of Psalm 63 (62):2-9, which appears both as a Responsorial Psalm in the Lectionary and in the Liturgy of the Hours (Morning Prayer of Sunday, Week I and Solemnities/Feasts).
The Grail Psalms was an excellent translation for introducing Catholics to the rich prayer forms of the Psalter at the time when the Church was moving into the vernacular liturgy after the Second Vatican Council. They provided a pastorally sensitive and enlightening way for Catholics to begin to appreciate the treasures found in the Book of Psalms. Their sprung rhythm was highly suitable for chanting, singing, or reciting the psalms in the context of worship. As with so many things, the need to renew these texts arose in light of subsequent scholarship. At the same time, the text has remained unchanged in many places, as a comparison [at right] of the two versions of Psalm 63 (62) shows.
Why was there a need for a revision of the Grail Psalms? When the Grail Psalms were first translated in the 1950s and early 1960s, the desire to retain strict rhythmic patterns similar to those found in their original Hebrew setting was a primary principle for the translators. In attempting to adhere to these rhythmic patterns, they would often abbreviate or paraphrase a text in preference to a more literal translation. By doing so, some instances of the rich biblical imagery of the Psalter were lost. Furthermore, in later decades, significant progress was made in the understanding of Hebrew rhetoric and how to incorporate the Hebraic style in English translation. Finally, there also arose a desire to return to a more elevated sacred language, in contrast to the informal and colloquial approach of the 1950s and 1960s.
Printed copies of The Revised Grail Psalms can be purchased from The Printery House of Conception Abbey (printeryhouse.org) or GIA Publications (GIAmusic.com/RGP). The GIA web site also features an electronic version available for viewing as well as licensing guidelines, and an expanded history of this new Psalter: giamusic.com/sacred_music/RGP/ psalmDisplay.cfm.
Revised Grail Psalms (RGP): Once Liturgiam Authenticam was promulgated, the need to revise the original Grail Psalms was evident due to the paraphrasing of some texts. Liturgiam Authenticam also required that all liturgical books would eventually utilize the same translations so there would not be the problem noted above (four books with four different translations). Abbot Gregory Polan of Conception Abbey in Missouri, an Old Testament scholar, undertook the project of revising the original Grail with using the Hebrew Masoretic and Greek Septuagint texts. Throughout the process, he consulted the Vatican and international sources to ensure they would meet the requirements of Liturgiam Authenticam while also being easily sung like the original Grail. This translation was used for all the psalm antiphons in the Roman Missal.
Abbey Psalms and Canticles: When the RGP came back with approval from the Vatican, there were over 100 changes made by the Holy See which disrupted the lyrical flow of some psalms. The USCCB voted in 2014 to make another translation of the RGP and it was approved by the Vatican in 2018. From this point forward, all liturgical books published in the United States will utilize the Abbey Psalms and Canticles.
I hope this multi-part explanation has been informative and helpful in understanding about the translations of our liturgical books and how the psalms are selected. For another reference in the translations, here is Psalm 92:15-16 which we pray today. The cantor will be proclaiming the Lectionary (R-NAB) translation, but you can compare it to the Grail and Abbey translations as well.
In November 2012, the U.S. Bishops voted to revise the translation of the Liturgy of the Hours in light of the Roman Missal, Third Edition and the 2001 Vatican document Liturgiam authenticam. This page will help to track the progress of this major undertaking for the Church in the United States.
Each Conference of Bishops is responsible for the translation of Sacred Scripture that is used in the liturgy. For the Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition, the psalms and canticles will be those translated by the monks of Conception Abbey, Missouri, while the latest version of the New American Bible will be employed for the various readings.
November 11, 2014: The U.S. Bishops voted to accept the modifications, which are known for being remarkably faithful to the original Hebrew while also being rendered in a "sprung rhythm" to facilitate singing.
June 11, 2015: The USCCB approves new translations of the Old and New Testament canticles. Prepared by Conception Abbey, these canticles are rendered in the same "sprung rhythm" as the Revised Grail Psalms.
The various readings from Scripture will be taken from the latest edition of the New American Bible. A separate project currently underway will lead to the eventual approval and confirmation of a "liturgical Bible," that is, a sole translation of the Bible that will be used in liturgical books and available for devotional study by the faithful. The liturgical Bible will be based on the New American Bible, Revised Edition. The goal is for this project to be completed around the same time as the Liturgy of the Hours.
The International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) has begun work on translating from the Latin or revising the English translation from the Latin of other elements of the Liturgy of the Hours, namely:
Many of the nearly 300 Latin hymns, some dating back to the early centuries of the Church, have never had an official English translation. Concluding its work in 2019, ICEL has translated all of these hymns in a manner that is faithful to the Latin that is both metrical and able to be chanted.
The current English translation of the intercessions (as well as many of the original Latin preces) are not consistent in style or vocabulary. ICEL is working to render the Latin preces in a more consistent manner, while also bringing out more of the scriptural imagery latent in the Latin.
June 17, 2021: The USCCB approves the intercessions found in the Four-Week Psalter, Proper of Saints, Commons, Office for the Dead, and Appendix II. If necessary, additional intercessions may be proposed for a vote at a future meeting of the bishops, together with any final errata or other texts.
In the revised edition of the Latin Liturgia Horarum (promulgated in 1985), the Church expanded the antiphons used for the Gospel Canticles for Morning and Evening Prayer to match the three-year Lectionary cycle of Sunday Gospel readings. The new antiphons have never been translated into English. ICEL completed its translation work for this portion in 2017.
June 14, 2018: The USCCB approves the three-year Sunday cycle of Benedictus and Magnificat antiphons in the Proper of Time (Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, Easter Time, and Ordinary Time). Any retranslations of existing antiphons may be proposed for a vote at a future meeting of the bishops, together with any final errata or other texts.
Since many of the psalm antiphons are drawn from the texts of the psalms themselves, and since the U.S. will be using a new translation of the psalms, it was determined to revise these antiphons in light of the Revised Grail Psalms. ICEL will include translations of these psalm antiphons in a future segment of texts.
June 17, 2021: The USCCB approves the concluding prayers found in the Four-Week Psalter. If necessary, additional concluding prayers may be proposed for a vote at a future meeting of the bishops, together with any final errata or other texts.
In the late 1940s, Father Patrick Cummins, OSB, a monk of Conception Abbey and a scholar and translator of Scripture in his own right, wrote the following definition in the introduction to his own unpublished translation of the Book of Psalms:
What is a psalm? Is it a prayer? A rhythmic prayer? A hymn? An oriental hymn? A Semitic hymn? A Hebrew hymn? The answer to all these questions is an ascending Yes. Hence, if we look at human literature as an ascending pyramid, then that pyramid is crowned by the Psalter. Man is most godlike when he sings to God. And among those who sing to God the Hebrew psalmist stands highest. In universality of sentiment, in keenness of conception, in rhythm of speech, in beauty of imagery, the Hebrew singer has no rivals.
How often in this quest do we find ourselves struggling to find words to express the manifold movements of the human heart! The Psalms provide a way into that unique chamber of the heart where one stands most free and open before God. Often, to our initial surprise, we find ourselves thinking, The words of the Psalms express my inmost thoughts and feelings better than I could myself. These words say what I am trying to say to God. The character of the Psalms is universal and classic, touching the human heart and giving voice to the most intimate motions of our souls before the One who is both transcendent and immanent, incomprehensible yet alarmingly close. The Psalms take us from the heights of praise to the depths of distress with language that always gives rise to a life-giving hope. They are inspired!
Rightly have the Psalms been called a school of prayer. As these prayers give voice to so many of the experiences presented in the stories of the Bible, they come to us as words that have already been cried, shouted, and sung by people of faith throughout the centuries. Facing the human struggles of illness, imminent death, bigger-than-life enemies, and warring nations, the psalmist gave expression to the fears and uncertainties that troubled the present situation. Similarly, the joy of victory, the gratitude for prayers answered, and wonder at the marvels of creation all become part of the praise that is lifted up to the God who rules the world and brings all life into being. The psalmist attests with unshakable conviction that the One and Almighty God who touches every movement of history and each human life is the focus of all praise, the healer of every ill, and the source of all blessing.