Last week I talked about one-line prayers and mentioned that one of my favorite one liners comes from Psalm 63. This week I want to introduce you to the complicated issue of how to translate a psalm. Originally, they were in Hebrew and so our English bibles must translate from the original Hebrew, not an easy task.

There are two basic positions, one called dynamic equivalence and the other literal equivalence. The first tries to be faithful to the original text yet does so in a way that is poetic and alive. The second is more concerned with translating the original word for word while still trying to keep the original poetic imagery. See which you prefer. I am going to give two versions of the opening of Psalm 63. See which one appeals to you more. At the end I will tell you which translation is the more literal.

REVISED GRAIL PSALMS

O God you are my God; at dawn I seek you;

For you my soul is thirsting.

For you my flesh is pining,

Like a dry, weary land without water.

I have come before you in the sanctuary,

To behold your strength and your glory.

REVISED PSALMS OF THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE

O God, you are my God—

For you I long.

For you my body yearns;

For you my soul thirsts,

Like a land parched, lifeless

And without water.

So I look to you in your sanctuary,

To see your power and your glory.

The first is the more literal and from now on will be the official translation of the Daily Office that all priests and religious pray each day.