THE PSALTER.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 August 1924, Page 4

THE PSALTER.

NEW METHICAL VERSION. MU SIT!DEN’S NOTABLE WORK. (By Edred Dyer 111 the “Sydney Herald.”) Methodist devotions have always been associated with song. The gilt that came to Methodism, and through Methodism, hy Charles Wesley, was a wonderful gift; and. perhaps, it has never yet been fully estimated. If wo have tailed rightly to estimate that, gilt, the cause of the failure lies more* on us than on the gift. It has been a very fruit fill gift in many direct ions ; nor lias its unit ceased 1 yet. Are we not right in saying that one of the latest fruits id' Charles Wesley’s gift of Ming is Dr K'ugdeu's new book: "Tito Psalms id' David:-” It has peculiar interest for us iti that it has developed and ripened under Australian skies. Il is 11 great gill to Australia. and to all English-speaking folk. Those who know the highly honoured and greatly-hclnvrd president-general of the .Methodist Church of Australasia know that lie has a very soul of music. Those who know him aeademiuclly would never he surprised that his music would break out in the fair fields of Shakespeare; and tlio-c who know him Melhndisticnlly would not he surprised either, unless his music should linger altogether with Shakespeare’s muse. They know that the master—for so they love lo call him—has in mind and heart a music that is essentially a fruit of Charles Wesley’s gilt of song, and so is inherently devotional. To see his lace while he sings a Methodist hymn, or joins in the Hallelujah Churns, to hear shout

" Glory ho to Hod" when he preaches as did ( bail 's Wesley in the open air, is to become sure that his gill of music is essentially devotional. So like all such devotional music it harmonise’, with and rejoices ill, the Psalms of David.

To aliempl a translation ol the

"Psalter” Irom the original Hebrew into modern English verse is lo essay a great task. For such a task, along

with many oilier gifts, there must ho this essential soul of music, and a lull sympathy w ill l the highest expressions cl devotion; more even than that, there should lie a long fellowship with the very spirit of devotion. No mere scholar, though his scholarship he large, no light-hearted singer, no inaltor how graceful his song, is snliicieti! lor siieli a disk. II done it must lie the work of one who with scholarship and music has long walked the hallowed wavs of social worship and private devotions, fur ho must enter into things that are id other lives, as veil as cultivate the highest in himself. Hence the value of such a gill as Charles Wesley's sung by way of preparation for such a task. MANY TRANSLATIONS'. .Many have loved to try translating the I’salni-. of David into English Verse. Among ihe rest. Milton, Addison, Henry Vaughan, “ Sihlrisl,” Dr Walts. .John Feeble. Sir 11. W. Baker. Then there are tho metrical versions that have tilled, and still do till, so large a place in the devotional life of a Christian Church. So Dr Siigdcu joins a goodly company who have sampled, so lo speak, or completed this task of translation lie lore his day. It all shows us how tho Psalms of David attract other singers, and vh.it a great contribution they arc lo the devotional lile ol mail. Thai ilit’ music and devotion of the Hebrew Psalter can he made to sing ii me;!; i n langur ;o.s Luther's hymn is a suf!i"ii lit pivot. Carlyle made Luther's ps.ilm 1,, sing in English; hut lhe in-piration w.i' originally from David. Sir 11. W. Baker's hymn.

•'The King of Love m.v Shephard is,'' also shows ilia! tj.e niti-ie and devotion of the Psalter tan be carried over into oilier li agues. IVrliap- the mo t out--lelidnig instance m our English -pe'-eli I- the version ol i ::c lUlllli Psalm. ■' All people that on earth do dwell.” Thai has become a pari ol our literary heritage, ami it is not likely to he lost to I hose n ho i nine after Us. S > c.ur singers have proved that the Psalms if David can he translated into English vi’i'- e; bill il is, ncvcrl liclcss, a v,beset by many dillieitlt ies. There are i|Uestinn-, of i-ritiiism. as well as qi'.e-l ion of moral standards, involved in the Psalms of David. These may lie dealt with in more ways i than one. Dr Waits look a short, direct wav with some of these que.s----t ion-. '’l ui crilor.” lie writes, "to aero,m 'date the hook of Psalms (o Clip-tie a worship, it is necessary to divest David anil Asaph ol every other | ci.aracier tint that of a I’-almi-t an I a Saint, and io ir.ike them alway- sjjeak the common son-., and language of a Christian.” Thai is one . li'cthoil, lull not a very useful one for our generation. I sing tlmt method Dr I Watts has left us some noteworthy | verses, hut lie •‘entirely omitted several whole Psalms and large pieces of many other-.” Perhaps among the most noteworthy of his renderings is our familiar hymn, "() find our holp in ages past.” Put before it reatlieil, us Dr Watts’ translation of that '.tilth P:fdm had been edited. We use a hymn of seven verses while Dr Walls wrote twenty ver-es; and we continue to use some of the verses that were'in other days, bracketed for omission if all the stanzas were ttol In he used ; and we have dropped out others that ! Were not so bracketed. .John Wesley j also dealt with Psalter in a drastic way tlial would, surprise some of his followers, lie edited the Hook of Commc't Prayer for "the people < ailed Methodists" because lie believed it had very great value. hit tie alteraion was

made, exce'it in four sp.-oi'ie diree lions, and one of these was the Psalms lie writes: "Alanv Psalms Idl- out

I an I many parts of others, as being highly improper for t !, e mouths of a Chrisiian congregation.” That was another way of dealing; with the 1 1i(11euitie- that aie met with in making the Psalms sneak in the English tongue. I THE NEW NEED. Dr Siigdon has not dealt with the (birdian knot in either of these ways. The fact that he follows largely the late Profes-nr ('. A. p.riggs is an assiliance lhal he could not in this work follow cither Watts or Wesley. All the Psalms appear in Dr Sugdi'ii's ver- | sioil. and lie h is the I'-alnisi-ts speak in their own way. and as far as may! lie lie lets them use their own forms j and literary devices. That represents! so much gain. Dr Hriggs suggested that "scholars whr» have the poetic gilt” should undertake the task of reproducing "the poetry of the Psalms in essentially the same measures in English poetry.” Though Dr Sugilen -ays, "I am not conscious of the pus. -essioii it itii\- sin'lieicnt degree of the, •poatie gilt’ for such an undertaking," J a great many people will he grateful j i 101 l 111- Used hi- very evident gift, his! spill of music, in i Id- w ork. The preface to tile work concludes with a

statement of it- purpi-e. and. incidentally, of its spirit : "My one object P to help the English reader to study the Psalms from a fresh point of view, that lie may the better realise the infinite wealth of tiiis treasure-house of devotion. May the Holy S' pi ri l who in-

spired tiie writer- bless this version to the profit of His people.” That is the guidance we need as we come to the reading of the version itself. Taking up such a new version of (lie Psalms, it is natural to turn first to

certain Psalms that are most familiar because of their greatness, and read to discover what they are like in their new dress; and also to find what the quality and; power of the now singer is when ho baubles familiar treasures. It is, perhaps, an awkward moment for both poet and devout reader when the latter reaches such a point—when he turns, say, to the 2,‘lrd Psalm. Thiit, is a sort of Holy of Holies ill things devotional, and the poet who essays to give it a new English dress may easily he 'misjudged. 11l turning l-> the noth or 100th the same thing may easily happen. Dr Sugdeii’n work will, however, stand this test, and after having been tried hy such a test will pass into regular use hy the devout souls who are fortunate enough to l e put in the way of this hook, when they do not discover it for themselves. Ministers of religion might he well advised to u-c this version of the Psalter, and then to put it in the wav of devout souls who use the Psalter devotioiinlly. Both the Doth and lOlUli Psalms are done with strength and dignity as is befitting. Hi each a line from a former version has slipped in ; hut there are in each new turns of thought expressed that will help many, perhaps, in many . ways. The hist stanza of the 100th Psalm illustrates this. It rcml-i | (), let Thy word to ns appear. I And to our sum Th v splendour I Do Thou in graeioitsness draw near And stahlise all our labours here! Be Thou our work's defender! Nov and then the reader comes upon

Now and then the reader comes upon a couplet or a stanza that recalls the Prayer Book version, that version of many weaknesses, and yet ol such subtle charm that it can never he displaced.

(! let the speeches of my mouth and musing of my mind. Lord, my Redeemer and my Rock, with Thee acceptance find.

|>r sTgd.*u's version ol tho Kith P.->a 1 111 i- quite anarl from Carlyle’s tran-lalion ol Luther s version. hut it has a quality that will give it a ciiiisiilernhle place in pure devotion. The second part of the rendering of the 77th Psalm is a spirited, vivid version of the hitter part of that Psalm. 111 rendering the I Kith Psalm Dr Sagden lorn not ft rgotten Dr Watts—who that is familiar with John Wesleys journal in its .standard form could lor'•el Dr. Mali' s version ol that Psalm.'’ -vet l)r. Sugden’s version will make

its own place. In one last word, Dr. Sagdeii’s translation is rich in modern scholarship, even richer in its Catholic devotional spirit ; and lor very many spirituallyminded folk the union of these two is. for ill" culture of spiritual lile, greatly t„ he desired. Such people will use Dr Stigdeu’s version with much jov.