The Book of Psalms in English Blank Terse. By Ben
Tehillim. (Andrew Elliot, Edinburgh.)—The author of this translation thinks that "to chant a prose version is an absurdity; music, being rhyth- mical, needs a rhythmical subject." Rhyme he rejects, as imposing "on a faithful translator difficulties which are insurmountable." Thus he finds himself shut up to blank verse. Bat he does not mean by "blank verse " what' is commonly signified by that phrase. He means simply unrhymed verse, commonly, indeed, of ten syllable& but often of eight or six, and without any attempt at the variety of pansies which goes so far to make the music of blank verse properly so called. This is the form in which he gives us his new translation of the Psalter. As a translation, we have no intention of criticising it. It claims to use "the verbal and lineal arrangements of the original," and therefore moves under very considerable constraint. Bat we may say emphatically that if " Ben Tehillim "thinks that this "blank verse " of his has any one quality (besides faithfulness to the original, of which we do not speak) which should make it preferable to the prose of the Authorised Version or of the Prayer-book Version for reading or chanting, to be used with music or without music, he is grievously mistaken. Here is a whole Psalm (iii.) :- " Jehovah, 0 how many are my troublers
Many are rising up at me ! Many are saying to my soul, There is no saving help for him in God.
But thou, Jehovah, art a shield round me, My glory and the raiser of my head.
Aloud unto Jehovah I will call ; And me he'll answer from his holy hill.
I did down lay saw, and would take my sleep.
I have awaked again, Because Jehovah is upholding me.
I will not fear the myriads of folk Whom they have set against me round about. Arise, Jehovah! save me. 0 my God !
For thou hest smitten all my foes on cheek ; The teeth of wicked men thou shattered bast.
Unto Jehovah is salvation due ; Upon thy people may thy blessing be."
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