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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • Monsignor Ronald A. Knox “The Trials Of A Translator” (1949)

Jeff Ostrowski · March 28, 2016

HAVE ALREADY admitted how much I admire Msgr. Ronald Knox as a writer. In essence, this 113-page book is an apologia for his famous translation of the Bible. 1 I hope you find this book as fascinating as I have:

* *  PDF • TRIALS OF A TRANSLATOR (1949)

The Italians have a phrase: “The translator is a traitor.” Some love the Knox Bible, others hate it. There will always be people who quibble with translations—no matter what. If you search hard enough on the internet, you can even find people who claim that the 1970s ICEL translation of the Roman Missal was more accurate than the current one. For myself, I don’t see how they can hold this view:

* *  PDF • COMPARISON CHART A

* *  PDF • COMPARISON CHART B

I’m fine with folks offering substantive criticisms of the current ICEL translation, which is far from perfect. However, I find interesting that the same people desperate to poke holes in the new translation never opposed things like:

* *  PDF • Theologically goofy hymn lyrics (Examples)

* *  PDF • 1996 Publication by NPM

By remaining silent on atrocities like that, they have disqualified themselves (in my opinion) from commenting on the new translation of the Roman Missal. 2

I probably spend too much time trying to find the “perfect” translations for my choir. If you look at the Hymn on page 35 of this Good Friday booklet you’ll catch my drift…

633 Monsignor Ronald A. Knox IMAGE

 


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   The complete Knox Bible is available online.

2   For the record, many of these same people calmly accept rulings which say the GIRM can be ignored. The GIRM requires that any texts replacing the entrance antiphon must be approved by the local bishop or bishops’ conference.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Monsignor Ronald Knox Traditional Mass Last Updated: April 12, 2021

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“In older times we referred to humans as the human race, but according to this foundation we are being classed with the animals on the farm, the cow, the horse, the mule […] According to this foundation, I have no right to be born, for I am the youngest of 16 children, and God bless my mother for every one of them!”

— Archbishop Schrembs (d. 1945) vs. a foundation promoting artificial contraception

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