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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Hymn Translations That Don’t Rhyme?

Jeff Ostrowski · June 19, 2021

HERE’S AN OLD SAYING: “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Much wisdom is contained in that phrase; and those who create hymnals understand well its meaning. The best hymns are often in Latin, but how can they be translated? A literal translation is the best way to capture the meaning of the original—but a literal translation cannot be sung. Many have attempted to create “rhymed” (i.e. metered) translations, but even the most skilled—Neale, Fitzpatrick, Knox, Caswall, and so on—often miss the mark, because it truly is an impossible task. For this reason, the Brébeuf hymnal includes a literal translation as well as numerous “rhyming” translations from which the competent choirmaster can choose.

A Free Lunch? Sometimes, hymnal editors attempt to “have their cake and eat it, too.” They will use metered translations that don’t rhyme. At first, this certainly seems like a brilliant solution! And one could get away with non-rhymed texts when it comes to lengthy, melismatic, complicated hymns such as Decora Lux Aeternitatis.

Fulton J. Sheen Missal: Many years ago, Corpus Christi Watershed made available for free download the remarkable “Fulton J. Sheen Sunday Missal,” published in 1961. This was one of our most popular PDF files, and it was downloaded close to 45,000 times. It has been out-of-print for more than half a century…and largely forgotten. In the past, we have talked about how the references to authors of the hymn translations were completely bonkers—no doubt through an editorial oversight. So we will never know who created the following translation, although it might have been Father Philip Caraman.

Non-Rhyming Hymns: Here is how the “Pange Lingua” of Bishop Fortunatus appears in the Fulton J. Sheen Sunday Missal—and notice it does not rhyme, yet does match the meter of the original Latin:

What’s The Point? What is the point of this translation? One would assume it was done for singing. After all, several other attempts at “non-rhymed” hymns have been made: (1) The new ICEL Breviary hymns are supposedly non-rhymed; (2) The 1970s translation by the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Cecilia in Ryde on the Isle of Wight—just off the south coast of England—uses non-rhymed translations. The Ryde hymns were adapted for the 2007 Mundelein Psalter by Douglas Martis. In my opinion, such translations don’t work, except in the very limited case we spoke of earlier: viz. complex, melismatic, lengthy hymns. In other hymns, our ears are accustomed to hearing the rhyme; we desire strongly to hear the rhyme. Without the rhyme, the piece seems unfulfilling.

An Example: Here is how the translation above—from the Sheen Missal—would sound if set to music. Do you agree this is ghastly?

Liturgical Snobs: We should desire the best for the sacred liturgy. There is nothing wrong with examining liturgical publications and soberly discerning that some have missed the mark, perhaps in an effort to make money. At the same time, we should be on our guard against becoming a “liturgical snob”—and each of us has met such a person. The liturgical snob is so consumed by rage, hatred, and pretentious liturgical “knowledge,” we can’t help wondering if he even believes in God. I believe the priest mentioned in Saint Luke, chapter 10, was most like a liturgical snob:

And Jesus answering, said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who also stripped him, and having wounded him went away, leaving him half dead. And it chanced, that a certain priest went down the same way: and seeing him, passed by.”

Snobs Cont’d: Some authors clearly possess authentic love for God and a deep desire to share knowledge about the sacred liturgy. Other authors seem obsessed with proving to everyone what an “expert” they are when it comes to liturgical subjects. A liturgical snob would rather suffer death than admit that someone knew something before he did. And the liturgical snob would suffer death 1,000 times before admitting he was incorrect about something.

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

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Bishop Fulton J Sheen, Hymn Meters, Hymnbooks, Jean de Brebeuf Hymnal, Non-Rhymed Hymns, Pange Lingua Fortunatus Last Updated: June 20, 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 Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

For the most part, a “good pope” is defined as someone who does what the critic would do if he were pope.

— William F. Buckley Jr. (6 September 1978)

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  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”

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