The Psalms: A New Translation from the Hebrew Arranged for Singing to the Psalmody of Joseph Gelineau
Overview
In the mid-1950s—a time when the movement toward liturgical reform that began in the early twentieth century had gained significant momentum—the Ladies of the Grail (England), a lay women’s community, gathered a group of scholars to prepare a new translation of the psalms. First published in 1963, the Grail Psalms were approved for liturgical use and adopted for the English editions of the Liturgy of the Hours following the Second Vatican Council. The unique character of the Grail Psalms is that they incorporate the rhythm of the original Hebrew text and are singable to the psalmody of the late French Jesuit priest and composer Joseph Gelineau. The combination of this text and the Gelineau music came to be widely known as the “Gelineau Psalms.” These are the psalms still sung in the Liturgy of the Hours today. Notes on each psalm are provided by Fr. Alexander Jones (editor of the Jerusalem Bible) and Fr. Leonard Johnston.
Most Highlighted Verses in The Psalms: A New Translation from the Hebrew Arranged for Singing to the Psalmody of Joseph Gelineau
Psalm 5:11: Decláre them guílty, O Gód. Let them fáil in their desígns. Drive them oút for their mány offénces; for théy have defíed you.
Psalm 15:10–11: For yóu will not léave my sóul among the déad, nor lét your belóved knów decáy. You will shów me the páth of lífe, the fúllness of jóy in your présence, at your ríght hand háppiness for éver.
Psalm 30:18–19: Let me nót be put to sháme for I cáll you, let the wícked be shámed! Lét them be sílenced in the gráve, let lýing lips be dúmb, that speak háughtily agáinst the júst with príde and contémpt.’
Psalm 39:15–16: O lét there be sháme and confúsion on thóse who seek my lífe. O lét them turn báck in confúsion, who delíght in my hárm. Let them be appálled, cóvered with sháme, who jéer at my lót.
- Title: The Psalms: A New Translation from the Hebrew Arranged for Singing to the Psalmody of Joseph Gelineau
- Authors: Joseph Gelineau, Alexander Jones, Leonard Johnston
- Publisher: Paulist Press
- Print Publication Date: 1991
- Logos Release Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Bible. O.T. Psalms › Paraphrases, English
- ISBNs: 0809116693, 9780809116690
- Resource ID: LLS:THEPSALMS
- Resource Type: Bible
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T21:01:00Z
Reviews
1 rating
Bede
5/26/2021
The Grail Psalter is the one used for Mass and Divine Office in England and Wales (and possibly some other countries as well. Be aware it uses the Septuagint numbering for the psalms, as used by the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Although it's not listed in the contents, the psalm tones are given at the back. (On my phone these are almost unreadable, but they're much clearer on a larger screen. That said, I think they're scanned from the print version in which, in my copy at least, they're also unreadable.)
