詩篇第1篇

Beatus Vir

作曲:Monteverdi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPNZeT_7OR4

Monteverdi’s Beatus vir (translated by Christopher Eckart)



Fortunate[1], fortunate is man.  Fortunate, fortunate is man. 

His seed will reign on earth.  He will be blessed with glory and wealth[2].

Fortunate, fortunate is man.  He came to being[3] compassionate and just.

Fortunate, fortunate is man. 


Delightful[4], delightful, delightful are humans[5].  They view the world with

Compassion and take their rightful place.

Their words will go down justly in eternal memory.

Ready, ready, ready are their hearts, they are firm and will not be swayed.

They distribute freely and give from their horn of plenty.

They will be exalted in glory, they will be exalted in glory.



Fortunate, fortunate is the man who fears the lord, whose anger will build

And roar through his teeth, then subside.  Man’s desire for sin, his desire for

Sin will perish, will perish.  Fortunate is the man who fears the lord. 


Glory to the Father, and glory to the Son.  Glory also to the Holy Spirit, just

As there was in the beginning, glory, both now and always.

Glory, even in the ages of ages[6], glory, even in the ages of ages.

Glory, glory, glory even in the ages of ages glory, even in the ages of ages. 

Glory, glory, glory even in the ages of ages.  Amen.



Notes on the text and translation


The most noticeable aspect of a literal translation of this song is the repetition of a large number of words and phrases.  This is however, not as apparent when the song is sung.  Lyrics to any song can seem trite or repetitive when simply read from a page, but are given context and different emphases when sung, so their repetition can be pleasing. 

The hymn is divided into four clear stanzas or verses.  The first declares man’s great power and his privileged position in God’s world.  It has a powerful positive message.  The second verse again exclaims the greatness of the human race, but elaborates and names some of our admirable qualities (compassion, steadfastness, generosity).  The point that Monteverdi (whose name is Latin for ‘Green Mountain’) seems to be making is that in humans, God has created the ideal beings.  Monteverdi probably believed, as many Christians still do, that God created humans in his own image.

The third verse however, gives a less positive image of God, while still singing the praises of humans.  It is a moralistic warning.  By conveying that the man who fears good is fortunate, Monteverdi is making an implicit comparison to all those who do not fear God.  Surely they are less fortunate and will have to suffer god’s rage.  The mention of God’s teeth in this stanza seems strange.  However, if we consider the overall theme of the hymn to be the reflective relationship between God and his human creations, it follows logically that God should also have physical human characteristics.

The fourth and final verse is a traditional Psalm (hymn of praise) ending.  It does not particularly carry on the theme of the rest of the song, but rather acts as a formulaic closing.  Glory is given to the holy trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and we are reminded of God’s eternal timeframe, from the beginning, on through eternity.


Footnotes reprinted


[1] ‘Beatus’ is a widely used adjective with many meanings.  They range from ‘happy’ in classical Latin to ‘blessed’ in the Latin of Monteverdi’s time.  ‘Fortunate’ conveys both of these ideas together.

2 ‘Divitiae’ means riches or wealth in both the material and the spiritual senses.

3 ‘Exortum est’ = came to being, or arose, but Monteverdi seems to mean something more like ‘was created’.

4 ‘Jucundus’ is a strong contrast to ‘Beatus’.  It is a much less weighty adjective.  Possible translations include ‘agreeable’ or ‘pleasant’.

5 ‘Homo’ is the Latin word for human being or person.  It is singular in the Latin, but I have translated it and the verbs following as plural because it is meant to convey the sense of ‘the whole human race’.

6 ‘Ages of ages’ is the traditional (and literal) church translation of ‘saecula saeculorum’.  It is a poetic way of saying ‘forever’.



[1] ‘Beatus’ is a widely used adjective with many meanings.  They range from ‘happy’ in classical Latin to ‘blessed’ in the Latin of Monteverdi’s time.  ‘Fortunate’ conveys both of these ideas together.
[2] ‘Divitiae’ means riches or wealth in both the material and the spiritual senses.
[3] ‘Exortum est’ = came to being, or arose, but Monteverdi seems to mean something more like ‘was created’.
[4] ‘Jucundus’ is a strong contrast to ‘Beatus’.  It is a much less weighty adjective.  Possible translations include ‘agreeable’ or ‘pleasant’.
[5] ‘Homo’ is the Latin word for human being or person.  It is singular in the Latin, but I have translated it and the verbs following as plural because it is meant to convey the sense of ‘the whole human race’.
[6] ‘Ages of ages’ is the traditional (and literal) church translation of ‘saecula saeculorum’.  It is a poetic way of saying ‘forever’.

2013年7月15日 星期一

恩光歌

詩歌本"普天頌讚"第556首
"Jesus Bids Us Shine" is a children's hymn with words by Susan Bogert Warner (1819-1885) and music by Edwin Othello Excell(1851-1921). It was first published in the children's magazine The Little Corporal in 1868.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNE7qxDwTDI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c3emTyf9YM