Views of the Gloria -- Discuss

[Traditional_Ang]

Brothers & Sisters:

For the past 38 years, this Gloria in Excelsis has been used in almost all Masses: It’s not an accurate translation of the Latin, and the language looks more like something one would read in business correspondence than in poetry meant to glorify the Most High God…Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father;
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
catholic-resources.org/ChurchDocs/Mass.htm#Introductory
This is the Gloria from the Mass of Pope Paul VI - What is known as the “Novus Ordo”.

Compare this with the Gloria in Excelsis from the “New” Translation of the Mass which you will soon be using… The translation is more faithful to the Latin and sounds a little less like something one would see in business correspondence and a little more like poetry…Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you, we bless you,
we adore you, we glorify you,
we give thanks to you for your great glory.
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father,
You take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
You are seated at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,
You alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen
usccb.org/romanmissal/examples.shtml
This still isn’t as poetic, or beautiful, as what Anglicans and Anglican Use Catholics have been saying and singing…Glory be to God on high,
and on earth peace, good will towards men.
We praise thee, we bless thee,
we worship thee, we glorify thee,
we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,
O Lord God, heavenly King,
God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father,
that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father,
have mercy upon us.

For thou only art holy;
thou only art the Lord;
thou only, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost,
art most high in the Glory
of God the Father. Amen.
angelfire.com/pa3/OldWorldBasic/tikhon.txt
Although this is written in 17th Century English, and most Anglo-Catholics have had to correct its placement in the Book of Common Prayer (LONG “Back-Story” can be told later), It still “sounds” more of heaven than the other two…

%between% Naturally, the request is for you to comment on these 3 Gloria’s and to add any translations you may run across (or the LATIN/GREEK if you want to add them)… This is how we praise God at the start of most of our Divine Liturgies, and I’d like to see how well we actually know our liturgy and whether it’s bringing us into the Heavenly Kingdom where time and space have no end and Death has no dominion…

Your brother in Christ, Michael

 

[Canto]

Interesting post. Will be curious to see what people think.

I prefer the 2nd one.
The first one is banal and inaccurate
The 2nd one poetic and accurate and readable
The 3rd is not as poetic in my op. and not as accurate

Thou that **sittest **at the right hand of God the Father

I don’t mind the thys etc in old English but the sittest and takest etc irk me personally not to mention when references to people are that instead of who i.e. you that instead of you who. But that’st just me.

Peace.

 

[CatholicZ09]

I like the first one better, but maybe that’s because I’m just so used to singing it. What makes me wonder, is how are the composers of several different Gloria’s going to change the music setting? They are going to have to write whole new versions of the song. So, what are we going to use when we use the new setting? When will the write new versions of the Gloria?

 

[japhy]

What makes me wonder, is how are the composers of several different Gloria’s going to change the music setting? They are going to have to write whole new versions of the song. So, what are we going to use when we use the new setting? When will they write new versions of the Gloria?

Smart musicians are doing that already. Some musicians have already written settings for it, but the ICEL won’t allow them to be made available online yet.

I hope more musicians begin to respect this text and not change it, and not make it into a song with verses and a refrain. That was quite an innovation, and it disrupts the text to treat it that way.

 

[Cluny]

There is a fourth translation by English-speaking Melkites that can be found in the Melkite liturgy book on

www.melkite.org

Keep in mind that in the Byzantine and some other Eastern liturgies, this is a hymn of Matins.

I wonder how much the new English translation of the Roman Rite will affect liturgical churches such as the Anglican and Lutheran? Will they revise their liturgies to accomodate it?

 

[babydoc]

I prefer the Anglican use translation, followed by the newer translation. The only thing that bothers me is “people of good will”. “Men of good will” is more poetic.