Actually, the Church, in her liturgy, is very precise in how she wants the translations of texts to be made. According to Liturgicam Authenticam:I am interested in knowing what is the most recent church authorized translation of the psalms. Is the Grail Psalter an authorized translation? What about the one by ICEL?
Also, do you have a list of Catholic Hebrew scholars who would know the accurate translation of the psalms?
Whenever the biblical or liturgical text preserves words taken from other ancient languages (as, for example, the words Alleluia and Amen, the Aramaic words contained in the New Testament, the Greek words drawn from the Trisagion which are recited in the Improperia of Good Friday, and the Kyrie eleison of the Order of Mass, as well as many proper names) consideration should be given to preserving the same words in the new vernacular translation, at least as one option among others. Indeed, a careful respect for the original text will sometimes require that this be done.
- Furthermore, it is not permissible that the translations be produced from other translations already made into other languages; rather, the new translations must be made directly from the original texts, namely the Latin, as regards the texts of ecclesiastical composition, or the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, as the case may be, as regards the texts of Sacred Scripture. 24
I do not know about the Grail Psalter. However, new translations need to take what Liturgicam Authenticam says as the blueprint for how to best accomplish their work. In fact, this document is the guiding principle behind the new translation of the Roman Missal.Furthermore, in the preparation of these translations for liturgical use, the Nova Vulgata Editio, promulgated by the Apostolic See, is normally to be consulted as an auxiliary tool, in a manner described elsewhere in this Instruction, in order to maintain the tradition of interpretation that is proper to the Latin Liturgy.
At present, the 1970 New American Bible Psalms are used in the United States. The NRSV Psalms are used in Canada, while the original 1963 Grail Psalms are used in the UK and some other Commonwealth nations. The 1963 Grail Psalms are also used in the official English translations of the Liturgy of the Hours worldwide (both the U.S. and UK editions).Actually, the Church, in her liturgy, is very precise in how she wants the translations of texts to be made. According to Liturgicam Authenticam:
I do not know about the Grail Psalter. However, new translations need to take what Liturgicam Authenticam says as the blueprint for how to best accomplish their work. In fact, this document is the guiding principle behind the new translation of the Roman Missal.