Observations on new English translation
Carl P. Daw, Jr., former Executive Director of the Hymn Society, priest of the Episcopal Church, is a widely recognized expert on the English language in worship, and himself an author of numerous very fine hymn texts. Pray Tell asked him to comment on the English of the revised Missal translation – not from the standpoint of how to translate from Latin, but from the standpoint of the quality of the final text.
See PDF document on http://www.praytellblog.com/index.php/2011/07/05/observations-on-the-language-of-the-revised-missal/
One may argue with some of his points, but the entire new translation constantly generated the sort of queasy feelings and puzzlement that this post reflects. This is the very last thing we need to inflict on an already sorely tried massgoing public. The result will be a further drastic reduction in mass attendance — since the people will realize that we are even less serious about liturgy than we have already shown.
The more I read and reflect on the New English translations, the more the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes comes to mind!
Yes indeed, Soline, it’s been in my mind since day 1. I do look forward, with wicked schadenfreude, to Nov 27 when the emperor struts naked before millions of Catholics worldwide. The perpetrators have no conception of what is going to hit them. Their flattering tailors have not warned them. This is the stuff of nightmares, to find oneself humiliatingly naked in public. Bring it on!