Sunday, August 13, 2006

Wow, things really are looking up for I.C.E.L. translations

In my usual comparison of prayers, I will put the official Latin prayers, the 1973 I.C.E.L. translation which must be used in all English Masses here in the U.S. (I don't know about the other English speaking countries), and my own literal translation, following in the footsteps of and giving credit for the idea to Fr. Z over at WhatDoesThePrayerReallySay

Anyway, I forgot to look up the I.C.E.L. translation for the preface for the Assumption. Amazingly, I do not have it in my collection of ligurgical books at home (I lost my Novus Ordo Sunday Missal a few years ago, and never bothered getting a new one since the new Lectionary translations are so horrible IMHO).

I figured I could quickly find it on the web, but what I got was a rather suprising and extremely hopeful sign: ICEL's new draft of a translation for the Preface of the Assumption, which I found in a small article at adoremus.org. I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES! It was a well done translation of the preface. In fact it was more accurate than my try. So here is the comparison with the 2006 ICEL draft. (I'll put my original translation, which I now see I need to fix).

Preface used at the Vigil Mass and Day Mass for the Assumption

Official Latin from the 1969 & 2002 Roman Missals
Preface: De gloria Mariae Assumptae

Vere dignum et iustum est, æquum et salutáre, nos tibi semper et ubíque grátias ágere: Dómine, sancte Pater, omnípotens ætérne Deus: per Christum Dóminum nostrum.

Quóniam Virgo Deípara hódie in cælos assúmpta est, Ecclésiæ tuæ consummándæ inítium et imágo, ac pópulo peregrinánti certæ spei et solácii documéntum; corruptiónem enim sepúlcri eam vidére mérito noluísti, quæ Fílium tuum, vitæ omnis auctórem, ineffabíliter de se génuit incarnátum.

Et ídeo, choris angélicis sociáti, te laudámus, in gáudio confiténtes:

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus....


Draft 2006 I.C.E.L. Translation (unofficial and thus cannot be used at Mass ... yet? )
Preface: The Glory of Mary assumed into heaven

It is truly right and just,
our duty and salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.

Since today the Virgin Mother of God was assumed into heaven
as the beginning and pattern of your Church’s perfection
and a sign of sure hope and comfort to your pilgrim people,
For justly you would not allow her
to see the corruption of the tomb,
because from her own flesh she brought forth ineffably
your incarnate Son, the author of all life.

And therefore in company with the choirs of Angels
we praise you, proclaiming with joy:

Holy, Holy, Holy...

(My) Literal Translation
Preface: Preface of the Glory of the Assumption of Mary
It is truly right and just, proper and availing unto salvation, that we always and everywhere give thanks to You, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God: through Christ our Lord.

Whereas the Virgin who gave birth to God, today was assumed into Heaven, she is the beginning and image of Your perfected Church, and also an example of fixed hope and consolation for a pilgrim people; for You rightly refused to see her corruption in the tomb, she who ineffably bore Your Son, the Author of all life, Who took flesh from her.

And so, united with the choirs of Angels, we praise You, confessing in joy:

Holy, Holy, Holy ...

This is the hard part about blogging, you put your ideas out there for everyone to see, and thus, when you mess up, everyone can see that too. LOL. Oh, well, my only claim was that my Latin can't be worse than the 1973 I.C.E.L. translations.
I think I see some errors in my translation (I didn't even get the preface title accuarately). However I am happy to see I.C.E.L. has a solid draft for the translation! I hope the other prayers are getting the same treatment. Keep those prayers up! DEO GRATIAS!)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

When you say that the new ICEL is doing a good job, that really means something to me. Wow, indeed!

Roman Sacristan said...

Well, I stritcly base that on the translation of the Assumption Preface. Given how down I am on ICEL, I was pleasantly suprised by what I saw.
Certainly their lastest translations are an improvement over what we have been stuck with for the last thirty something years.
Let's just pray that they will only get better.