Last Saturday night, the last day of the 9 day Novena before Pentecost Sunday, my family prayed the Veni Creator in English, but I chose not to do the poetic translation that one finds everywhere, which has no meaning to me, but instead used the linguistic translation of Abbot Guerranger O.S.B. in his Liturgical Year Volume IX, Book II, page 296-297. I have always been bothered by inaccuracy of poetic translations and have just skipped them and gone home and prayed Guerranger's linguistic translation. Here is a comparison of the linguistic and the poetic translations. In my opinion, there is little similarity between them:Linguistic tranlation by GuerrangerO come, Creator Spirit, visit our souls; and with thy heavenly grace fill the hearts that were made by thee.
Thou art called the Paraclete, the Gift of the most high God, the living Fountain, Fire, Love, and spiritual Unction.
Thou art sevenfold in thy gifts: the Finger of the Father’s hand; the Father’s solemn Promise, that enrichest men with the gift of tongues.
Enkindle thy light in our minds; infuse thy love into our hearts ; and strengthen the weakness of our flesh by thine unfailing power.
Repel the enemy far from us, and delay not to give us peace; be thou our guide, that we may shun all that could bring us harm.
Grant that, through thee, we may know the Father and the Son; and that we may evermore confess thee the Spirit of them both.
Glory be to God the Father, and to the Son who rose from the dead, and to the Paraclete, for everlasting ages! Amen.
Ant. The Spirit of the Lord.
Poetic translation
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
and in our hearts take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heav'nly aid,
To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
O Comforter, to Thee we cry,
Thou heav'nly gift of God most high,
Thou Fount of life, and Fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.
O Finger of the hand divine,
the sevenfold gifts of grace are thine;
true promise of the Father thou,
who dost the tongue with power endow.
Thy light to every sense impart,
and shed thy love in every heart;
thine own unfailing might supply
to strengthen our infirmity.
Drive far away our ghostly foe,
and thine abiding peace bestow;
if thou be our preventing Guide,
no evil can our steps betide.
Praise we the Father and the Son
and Holy Spirit with them One;
and may the Son on us bestow
the gifts that from the Spirit flow.
Topic: English Poetic Veni Creator vs. Linguistic Translation - Not even Close! (Read 165 times)