F I WERE TO CLAIM that Mountain Dew was the only brand of soda available for purchase, what would you think? You’d think I’m crazy, because everyone knows there’s also Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, Sprite, Pepsi, and so forth. But when it comes to hymn translation, so many believe that Dr. Neale and Fr. Caswall are the only options—which simply isn’t true. Consider a major composer for GIA PUBLICATIONS named Father Ronald Krisman, who also served as director of the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship during the 1980s. In November of 2015, Father Krisman made the following statement:
There may also have been but a few English-language singing translations of Latin chants before Vatican II if Anglican divines such as John M. Neale had not made them for use in the Anglican Church. (When Edward Caswell and John Henry Newman came into the full communion of the Catholic Church, they continued to make English translations of Latin hymns, but their translations could only be sung at Catholic devotional services, not in the liturgy itself, which had to be in Latin.)
Bizarre Statement • Considering all the resources (and fine libraries) the BCL’s director had access to—right in the vicinity of their opulent D.C. offices—such a statement strikes me as inexplicable; even bizarre. Thumb through a few pages of the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal and you will quickly see there were fabulous Roman Catholics who created momentous collections translating the ancient hymns: Fr. John Fitzpatrick (d. 1929); Hon. Daniel Joseph Donahoe (d. 1930); Msgr. Hugh T. Henry (d. 1946); Msgr. Ronald A. Knox (d. 1957); Archbishop Edward Bagshawe (d. 1915); Robert Campbell (d. 1868); Dom John W. Wallace (d. 1896); and these are just a few.1
(1 of 3) John Mason Neale • Before I discuss the poetic translations of Dr. John Mason Neale, I would like to share with you the “Music List” I’ve prepared for Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which will occur this coming SUNDAY, 11 January 2025:
It will become obvious why I shared that list, which pays great attention to language (e.g. the Fauxbourdon verses for the Communion given there).
(2 of 3) John Mason Neale • I have received permission to share one of the numerous “comparison tables” used by the editorial team responsible for creating the Brébeuf Hymnal. Click on the following, and you will see a multitude of Roman Catholic poets—not just Caswall and Newman, as Father Krisman suggested—created magnificent translations of the ancient hymn for Christmas and Epiphany:
(3 of 3) John Mason Neale • Consider the following points, which are somewhat superficial but will—hopefully—get the conversation started. On the very first line, Neale has a defective rhyme (at least by modern standards): “arise” with “boundaries.” Speaking of rhymes, there’s nothing distinctive or noble about his first stanza, inasmuch as “sing” and “King” is beyond hackneyed. Not long afterward, Neale rhymes “womb” with “home.” Neale requires pronunciation like “undefilèd” and “conceivèd” which perhaps was normal 150 years ago but can be problematic in the year 2026. Immediate repetition of “that Son” (That Son, that royal Son she bore) seems calculated to make the words fit rather than a pursuit of excellence. Neale uses the word “bore” as his rhyme in two subsequent stanzas: considered a ‘sin’ from the standpoint of poetry. Later on, Neale rhymes “sky” with “high”—which isn’t exactly evidence of great creativity. For his rhymes, he uses words like “lave” and “aye,” which may have been acceptable 150 years ago, but would not generally be well-received in the year 2026. In spite of such blemishes, many of Neale’s ‘turns of phrase’ are admirable and clever. Nor is Neale alone guilty of such faults as have just been enumerated; far from it! Neale’s versions can sometimes seem bland compared to a poet like Ronald Knox, whose style is quite colorful (although every bit as accurate as Neale’s). On the other hand, the translations of Judge Daniel J. Donahoe (d. 1930) almost seem too colorful.
Conclusion • I don’t see how anyone could say John Mason Neale is the greatest translator of Latin hymns, although he is certainly within the top 10. The problem seems to be that many people are familiar with the work of John Mason Neale. Folks (myself included) tend to prefer what they know; what they’ve heard before; what they’re comfortable with; what they’ve grown to love; what they’re familiar with. This is only natural—but the mature person realizes “familiarity” is not necessarily synonymous with “excellence.” In other words, the mere fact that someone is familiar with something doesn’t make it “better.” Take a look at that comparison chart above and see whether you agree.
As always, feel free to email me—letting me know whether I got anything wrong!
1 To say nothing of countless Catholic poets who made individual contributions of the highest quality such as: Very Rev’d Dominic Aylward; Denis Florence MacCarthy; Athanasius D. Wackerbarth; Aubrey Thomas de Vere; Father Gerard M. Hopkins; Dr. Adrian Fortescue; Saint Robert Southwell; Saint Philip Howard; Sir William K. Blount; and so forth.
