Introduction to Psalm 114 in the context of Vespers of the Office of the Dead

c15th Maitre de Rohan

I want to focus, over the next few weeks, on the traditional form of the Vespers of the Office of the Dead by way of an offering for the souls in purgatory, and in the hope that I can encourage others to say the Office of the Dead to that end.

Like all of the hours of this Office, Vespers starts without any introductory prayers, with the antiphon for the first psalm, Placebo Dominum (I will please the Lord), which is in fact the last verse of that first psalm, Psalm 114 (116).

Vespers of the Dead consists of five psalms:

• Psalm 114, Dilexi quoniam exaudiet Dominus (I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice);
• Psalm 119, Ad Dominum cum tribularer clamavi (To the Lord I cry in my distress);
• Psalm 120, Levavi oculos meos in montes (I will lift up my eyes to the hills);
• Psalm 129, De Profundis (Out of the Deep);and
• Psalm 137, Confitebor tibi Domine (I thank thee Lord)

The middle three are all Gradual psalms, while Psalm 129 is also one of the penitential psalms.

So, to start with Psalm 114...

Psalm 114: the text

In the Septuagint (and thus Vulgate), this is a separate psalm. But in the Hebrew Masoretic Text it is joined to Vulgate Psalm 115, and actually constitutes the first nine verses of Psalm 116.

Here it is, first in English (Douay-Rheims), arranged as it is used liturgically:

I have loved, because the Lord will hear the voice of my prayer.
Because he has inclined his ear unto me: and in my days I will call upon him.
The sorrows of death have compassed me: and the perils of hell have found me.
I met with trouble and sorrow: And I called upon the name of the Lord.
O Lord, deliver my soul. The Lord is merciful and just, and our God shows mercy.
The Lord is the keeper of little ones: I was humbled, and he delivered me.
Turn, O my soul, into your rest: for the Lord has been bountiful to you.
For he has delivered my soul from death: my eyes from tears, my feet from falling.
I will please the Lord in the land of the living.

And in the Latin Vulgate:

Diléxi, quóniam exáudiet dóminus vocem oratiónis meæ
Quia inclinávit aurem suam mihi: et in diébus meis invocábo.
Circumdedérunt me dolóres mortis: et perícula inférni invenérunt me.
Tribulatiónem et dolórem invéni: et nomen Dómini invocávi.
O Dómine, líbera ánimam meam: miséricors Dóminus, et justus, et Deus noster miserétur.
Custódiens párvulos Dóminus: humiliátus sum, et liberávit me.
Convértere, ánima mea, in réquiem tuam: quia Dóminus benefécit tibi.
Quia erípuit ánimam meam de morte: óculos meos a lácrimis, pedes meos a lapsu.
Placébo Dómino in regióne vivórum.

To aid your learning, don't forget to listen to it being recited aloud, and work with the recording until you can say and sing (on one note) each verse yourself.

Psalm 114: an overview

Psalm 114 has long had two levels of meaning, referring both to our life here and now, and to our future in heaven.

In the context of the Office of the Dead, this first psalm of Vespers in the Office of the Dead is best read as a deathbed prayer of a soul on the point of victory, asking for God to take it up into heaven, the land of the living.

But it can also be read as a more general thanksgiving prayer (and is used as such in Jewish liturgy, sung after the Passover meal and on other major feasts as one of the ‘Hallel’ psalms) for the many times God has rescued us from those who assault us, and has aided us in keeping us on the path of righteousness, so that we can continue to please him. In this context, ‘the land of the living’ is here on earth, where we can still undertake good works to aid those in the land of the dead who can no longer aid themselves.

There is no explicit historical context that can obviously be attributed to the psalm, though St Alphonsus Liguori suggests that it was a thanksgiving psalm following David’s deliverance from persecution by his son Absalom.  The saint continues:

“The royal prophet is here the figure of the Christian soul, which, after suffering many dangerous temptations, finds itself at the approach of death victorious over its enemies and on the point of going to heaven to enjoy its God.”

For verse by verse translation notes and commentary, start here. 

For some suggestions on using the psalm to brush up your Latin,  have a look here.

Psalm propers for Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost (EF)

Today's psalm propers feature several verses of the longest psalm in the psalter, Psalm 118, so I thought I would take a brief look at them, particularly focusing mainly on the communio.

Psalm 118

Psalm 118 (119) is the longest psalm in the psalter (by a substantial margin), and is an extended meditation on the law.  It arguably serves both as a summary of the preceding psalms, and a necessary prerequisite for the ascent to heaven symbolised by the Gradual psalms that follow immediately after it.

The psalm is an alphabetical psalm (in the Hebrew), broken up into groups of eight verses probably as an aid to memorization.

In the Roman Office, it was traditionally said everyday, spread out over Prime to None; St Benedict however ditched this arrangement. Instead he had it said more slowly, spreading the psalm over Sunday and Monday only. In the 1911 reordering of the breviary, the repetition of the psalm in the Roman Office was dropped, and it is said on Sunday only. The Liturgy of the Hours uses only selected verses from it.

The Introit verse is the opening verse of the psalm, which summarises the central message of the psalm:

Beati immaculati in via, qui ambulant in lege Domini, or in the (updated) Douay-Rheims version, Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.

The Communio

The Communio uses parts of three verses from the psalm, namely 81, 84, and 86, all of which are from ‘caph’ (the eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet), said at None on Sunday in the traditional Benedictine Office; Sunday Sext in the 1962 Roman.

First let’s take at how the verses as used in the communion fit into the broader group of eight verses (the Communio verses are bolded):

My soul has fainted after your salvation: and in your word I have very much hoped.
My eyes have failed for your word, saying: When will you comfort me?
For I have become like a bottle in the frost: I have not forgotten your justifications.
How many are the days of your servant: when will you execute judgment on them that persecute me?
The wicked have told me fables: but not as your law.
All your statutes are truth: they have persecuted me unjustly; help me.
They had almost made an end of me upon earth: but I have not forsaken your commandments.
Quicken me according to your mercy: and I shall keep the testimonies of your mouth.

The overall theme, Cassiodorus suggests, is the Church’s longing for Christ’s Second Coming, which fits nicely into the general theme of the readings for this end of the liturgical year series of Masses:

“The pilgrim people on this earth sing the eleventh letter, in which they happily confess their extreme longing for the Lord's coming. They further relate their great sufferings from the persecution of the proud. Finally they ask that by the Lord's gift they may persevere in His commandments.”

The Vulgate text here differs slightly from the ‘vetus latina’ of the Mass texts, and has been adapted slightly to fit the purpose. The Latin of the communion is:

In salutari tua anima mea, in verbum tuum speravit; quando facies de persequentibus me judium? Iniqui persecute sunt me, adjuva me, Domie Deus meus

Phrase by phrase

A phrase by phrase literal translation might go as follows:

In salutari tua = in your salvation
anima mea = my soul
in verbum tuum speravi = in your word I have hoped

=My soul is in your salvation and I have hoped in your word, or more colloquially: My soul has trusted in your salvation and relied on your word.

St Robert Bellamine comments on the full verse of the psalm that:

"My desire of eternal salvation has been so great, that I have nearly fainted in consequence. "And in thy word I have very much hoped;" still your promises held out great hopes to me. Thus, while the delay to one's salvation makes one faint, the hope built on promise strengthens and supports."

quando facies de persequentibus me judium? = When will you make judgement on those persecuting me?

St Augustine suggests on this verse that:

"...these are the words of the Martyrs, and long-suffering is enjoined them until the number of their brethren be fulfilled."

Iniqui persecute sunt me, adjuva me = unjustly have they persecuted me, help me.
Domine Deus meus = O Lord my God

A verse that perhaps reminds us also of the behaviour of the unjust servant of today's Gospel.

A final reflection

Dom Gueranger comments on this text in his Liturgical Year that:

"An unflagging hope ever accompanies the admirable patience of holy Church. Persecutions, be they ever so fierce or long, never interrupt her prayer, for, as the Communio expresses it, she keeps in her heart a faithful recollection of the word of salvation that was give her by God."

21st Sunday after Pentecost: Communion from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo.

Psalm 22: Latin Study Hints Part C

Over the last two weeks I’ve been looking at Psalm 22.

There are two ways of using these notes.

First you can just read them as a general introduction to the psalm, focus on the commentary material provided, and skip quickly past the material on the Latin of the psalm.

Secondly, you can use the notes to help you pray the Latin of the Office with greater understanding.

Learning the Latin through immersion

If you are using this series to understand the Latin better, my suggestion is that you make sure you can:

• Say it out loud, pronouncing it correctly – listen again to a recording, and try and imitate it until you can chant the psalm slowly on one note; and
• Remember the sense of each verse using key words in the Latin as prompts – write out flash cards with the Latin phrase on one side, the English of the Douay-Rheims or the literal translation given on the other, and keep practicing it.

Here is the psalm again as a cross-check:

Psalmus David.
Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit.
Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam meam convertit.
Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum.
Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.
Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.
Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me; impinguasti in oleo caput meum : et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!
Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ; et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.

Going further

You might also learn the key vocabulary I’ve highlighted in previous posts, and at least read through the notes of the Simplicissimus reading Church Latin course to familiarize yourself with the key grammatical structures of Latin - it will make your absorption of the Latin faster and easier.

Ideally of course, you would learn all of the vocab we’ve come across so far, and, more importantly still, learn those grammatical paradigms off by heart. For those who are trying to do this, a complete vocabulary list for the psalm in alphabetical order is at the end of this post.

Feedback

I’d very much appreciate any feedback you have on the format and content of these posts - they take a fair amount of work to do, and if I continue with them, I'd like to be sure that what I am doing is as helpful to readers as possible.


Things you could comment on include:

Does the verse by verse format work, or would you prefer bigger chunks of the psalm at a time?
Is the best approach just giving a phrase by phrase "slavishly literal" translation most helpful, or are additional notes on grammatical structures, or a more word by word approach more helpful to you?

Are the Latin learning hints useful to you or not?

Would you prefer more or less general commentary material?

Any other suggestions?

Vocab list for Psalm 22

adversus or adversum, prep, with acc against; in the presence of, over against, before.
ambulo, avi, atum, are to walk; the manner in which one orders one's life;
baculus, i, m. a stick, staff, a shepherd's staff, a walking-stick.
calix, icis, m. cup, goblet, drinking-vessel.
caput, itis, n. the head,
colloco, avi, atum, are to set, place, put; to lie down, to rest.
consolor, atus sum, ari, Active, to comfort, console, encourage
conspectus, us, m. sight, presence;
converto, verti, versum, ere 3, to turn, change, alter, bring back; quicken, refresh; bring back; convert, turn from sin;
deduco, duxi ductum, ere 3, to lead or bring down; guide, lead, conduct
desum, fui esse, to be wanting, lack.
dies, ei, m. and /.; fem. a day, the natural day
dominus, i, m. a master, lord, ruler, owner, possessor
domus, us, /. a house, structure; a house, abode, dwelling place; Temple; ;a race, people, nation; the priesthood.
educo, duxi, ductum, ere 3, to lead out or forth.
eos – them (is ea id: he, she, it)
est – it is
et, conj. And; et = sed, adversative; et = vel; yea, even
ibi, adv. there, in that place. then
impinguo, avi, atum, are to anoint; fatten, grow thick
in+abl = with, in, on among, by means of
in+acc=into, onto, against, for (the purpose of)
inebrio, avi, atum, are, to inebriate, intoxicate; fill up, saturate with, refresh as with drink, to water, drench, moisten.
inhabito, avi, atum, are to dwell, abide; to inhabit, dwell in.
justitia, ae, /. justice, righteousness, innocence, piety, moral integrity
locus, i, m. a place.
longitudo, inis, /. lit., length, forever
malus, a, um, adj., bad, evil, wicked; grievous, sore, severe; subst., malum, i, n., evil, sin; woe, harm, misfortune.
me me
medius, a, um in the middle, midst
mensa, ae, /., a table.
meus –a -um – my, mine
misericordia, ae, mercy, kindness, favor, compassion, loving-kindness.
mors, mortis, /., death
nam for
nihil, n., , nothing
nomen, mis, n. name; God himself; the perfections of God, His glory, majesty, wisdom, power, goodness,
oleum, li, n. oil, esp., olive-oil
omnis, e, all, each, every; subst., all men, all things, everything
parare mensam, to furnish, lay, or prepare a table, to provide meat, sustenance.
paro, avi, atum, are, to prepare, make ready, furnish, equip, fit out, provide, make firm, establish
pascua, ae, /. (sc. terra, pasture land, from pasco), lit., a pasture, grass land for cattle to feed upon
praeclarus, a, um, splendid, glorious; goodly, pleasant.
propter, prep, with acc. on account of, by reason of, because of, from, for, for the sake of.
quam how, how much, as, than
qui who
quoniam, conj., for, because, since, seeing that, whereas.
refectio, onis, a restoring, repairing; refreshment.
rego, rexi, rectum, ere 3 (rex), to rule, govern, as a shepherd; to lead, guide; to rule..
semita, ae, /., a path, way; course of life, action, conduct, or procedure.
si, if, in case that; O that! would that! ; if, whether, if perchance; si; Si non, if not,
subsequor, seciitus sum, sequi 3, to follow close after; to follow.
super, with, on, upon, for, because of.
timeo, ere 2, to fear, be afraid of.
tribulo, avi, atum, are to oppress, afflict, harass.
tuus a um your (s)
umbra, ae, /., a shadow, a shelter, cover, protection
ut, adv. and conj., as, like. wherefore, so, so, why. that, in order that, to the end that.
virga, ae, /., a rod, staff, scepter, a shepherd's crook.
vita, ae, /. , life, esp. a happy life

Psalms verse by verse: Psalm 22/10



c15th Matthias Gradual

Today, a look at the last verse of the Lord is my shepherd, Psalm 22:

Psalmus David.
A psalm for David

Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit.
The Lord rules me: and I shall want nothing. He has set me in a place of pasture

Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam meam convertit.
He has brought me up, on the water of refreshment: He has converted my soul.

Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum.
He has led me on the paths of justice, for his own name's sake.

Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.
For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for you are with me.

Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.
Your rod and your staff, they have comforted me.

Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me;
You have prepared a table before me against them that afflict me.

impinguasti in oleo caput meum : et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!
You have anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriates me, how goodly is it!

Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ;
And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.
And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

A pilgrimage to heaven

On yesterday’s verse, Pope Benedict commented that ‘The goodness and faithfulness of God continue to escort the Psalmist who comes out of the tent and resumes his journey’. Today's verse makes clear where that journey is to, namely the ‘house of the Lord’ (domo Domini), the Temple, or heaven. For, Pope Benedict points out:

“This is what every believer yearns and longs for: truly to be able to live where God is, close to him. Following the Shepherd leads to God’s house, this is the destination of every journey, the longed for oasis in the desert, the tent of shelter in escaping from enemies, a place of peace where God’s kindness and faithful love may be felt, day after day, in the serene joy of time without end.”

A look at the Latin

Here it is again:

et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.

The verb here is inhabitem, from inhabito, avi, atum, are to dwell, abide; to inhabit, dwell in. Pope Benedict XVI notes in his commentary on the psalm that the (later) Hebrew Masoretic Text interprets the (ambiguous) ancient text as meaning ‘to return’ rather than to live. The older texts, and most translations, he notes make it ‘dwell’. He suggests that, “Both meanings may be retained: to return and dwell in the Temple as every Israelite desires, and to dwell near God, close to him and to goodness.”  So,

Et ut inhábitem  =and that I may live/dwell

et and

ut, adv. and conj., as, like. wherefore, so, so, why. that, in order that, to the end that.

The Vulgate (following the Septuagint) here uses a (ut+subjunctive) construction in order to mimic the structure of the Hebrew phrase as closely as possible. The neo-Vulgate changes it to the much simpler ‘et inhabitabo’ (and I will dwell) of St Jerome’s ‘from the Hebrew’ translation.

in domo Dómini=in the house of the Lord

in+ablative = with, in, on among, by means of

domus, us, f. a house, structure; a house, abode, dwelling place; Temple;
dominus, i, m. a master, lord, ruler, owner, possessor

in longitúdinem diérum =for length of days = for a long life/fullness of days/forever

in+acc=into, onto, against, for (the purpose of)

longitudo, inis, /. lit., length, forever
dies, ei, m. and /.; fem. a day

The Douay-Rheims translates the verse fairly literally as “And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.” A more idiomatic rendering would be, ‘and I will live in the house of the Lord forever’.

Trust in God

Pope Benedict XVI concluded his recent General Audience on this psalm as follows:

“With their richness and depth the images of this Psalm have accompanied the whole of the history and religious experience of the People of Israel and accompany Christians. The figure of the shepherd, in particular, calls to mind the original time of the Exodus, the long journey through the desert, as a flock under the guidance of the divine Shepherd (cf. Is 63:11-14; Ps 77: 20-21; 78:52-54). And in the Promised Land, the king had the task of tending the Lord’s flock, like David, the shepherd chosen by God and a figure of the Messiah (cf. 2 Sam 5:1-2; 7:8 Ps 78[77]:70-72).

Then after the Babylonian Exile, as it were in a new Exodus (cf. Is 40:3-5, 9-11; 43:16-21), Israel was brought back to its homeland like a lost sheep found and led by God to luxuriant pastures and resting places (cf. Ezek 34:11-16, 23-31). However, it is in the Lord Jesus that all the evocative power of our Psalm reaches completeness, finds the fullness of its meaning: Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” who goes in search of lost sheep, who knows his sheep and lays down his life for them (cf. Mt 18:12-14; Lk 15:4-7; Jn 10:2-4, 11-18). He is the way, the right path that leads us to life (cf. Jn 14:6), the light that illuminates the dark valley and overcomes all our fears (cf. Jn 1:9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:46).

He is the generous host who welcomes us and rescues us from our enemies, preparing for us the table of his body and his blood (cf. Mt 26:26-29; Mk 14:22-25); Lk 22:19-20) and the definitive table of the messianic banquet in Heaven (cf. Lk 14:15ff; Rev 3:20; 19:9). He is the Royal Shepherd, king in docility and in forgiveness, enthroned on the glorious wood of the cross (cf. Jn 3:13-15; 12:32; 17:4-5).

Dear brothers and sisters, Psalm 23 invites us to renew our trust in God, abandoning ourselves totally in his hands. Let us therefore ask with faith that the Lord also grant us on the difficult ways of our time that we always walk on his paths as a docile and obedient flock, and that he welcome us to his house, to his table, and lead us to “still waters” so that, in accepting the gift of his Spirit, we may quench our thirst at his sources, springs of the living water “welling up to eternal life” (Jn 4:14; cf. 7:37-39).”

For those learning or brushing up their Latin, the last set of study hints on this psalm, including a complete vocab list, can be found here.

Psalm 22/9 - Surely goodness and mercy...

This week I’m looking at the second half of Psalm 22, The Lord is my shepherd, and we are up to the second last verse as said in the Office. Here is the psalm so far in the Vulgate and Douay-Rheims translations, with today’s verse highlighted:

Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me;
You have prepared a table before me against them that afflict me.

impinguasti in oleo caput meum : et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!
You have anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriates me, how goodly is it!

Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ;
And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.
And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

Resuming our journey, under God's protection and guidance

The last few verses of the psalm have talked about take respite in a wonderful banquet, which might be interpreted as the Eucharist, particularly in the form of Viaticum, and anointing, but in this verse the speaker resumes his earthly journey for however long it may last, refreshed by God’s care for him, as Pope Benedict XVI explains:

“The Psalmist becomes the object of much attention for which reason he sees himself as a wayfarer who finds shelter in a hospitable tent, whereas his enemies have to stop and watch, unable to intervene, since the one whom they considered their prey has been led to safety and has become a sacred guest who cannot be touched. And the Psalmist is us, if we truly are believers in communion with Christ. When God opens his tent to us to receive us, nothing can harm us. Then when the traveller sets out afresh, the divine protection is extended and accompanies him on his journey: “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Ps 23[22]:6). The goodness and faithfulness of God continue to escort the Psalmist who comes out of the tent and resumes his journey.”

Looking at the Latin

Let’s break it down chunk by chunk. As noted in the last part, the best approach is often to find the verb first:

Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ;

Subsequetur is a deponent verb, from subsequor, secutus sum, sequi 3, to follow close after; to follow, so

Subsequétur =it will follow

The next step is to look for the subject of the verb, and any adjectives agreeing with it – what it is that will follow? The answer is misericordia, or mercy:

Et misericórdia tua= and your mercy/loving kindness

In fact misericordia here translates the Greek reasonably literally, but the underlying Hebrew word ‘hesed’ (transliterated as checed in Strong’s concordance) arguably has a rather broader meaning than mercy, hence the alternatives to mercy often found in translations of this verse, such as ‘loving kindness’ (Coverdale), or ‘goodness and mercy’ (KJV, RSV). The neo-Vulgate (unnecessarily in my view, given the rich depth of the Christian understanding of the word) attempts to make this breadth of meaning clear by changing the phrase to ‘Etenim benignitas et misericordia’ (ie goodness and mercy).

The third step in the translation process is to look for the object of the main action, in this case is clearly ‘me’, or me, thus, so far we have:

Et misericordia tua subsequetur me  = And your mercy will follow me.

So now we can sort out the remaining words and slot them into the sentence:

omnis, e, all, each, every; subst., all men, all things, everything
dies, ei, m. and /.; fem. a day, the natural day
vita, ae, f. , life, esp. a happy life

ómnibus diébus = all the days (ablative to express extent of time)

vitæ meæ =of my life

The Douay-Rheims translates the whole verse as:

“And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life.”. 

Or you can adopt the RSV version, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life’.

Tomorrow, on to the last verse of the psalm.

Psalm 22/8 - my cup overflows**

Extreme Unction,
van der Weyden, 1445

Continuing our study of Psalm 22, The Lord is my shepherd, here is the second half of the psalm in Latin with the today’s verse highlighted:

Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me;
impinguasti in oleo caput meum : et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!
Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ;
et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.

A look at the Latin

Here is the verse again:

Impinguasti in oleo caput meum: et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!

First look at the individual words:

impinguo, avi, atum, are to anoint; fatten, grow thick
in+abl = with, in, on among, by means of
oleum, li, n. oil, esp., olive-oil
et and
caput, itis, n. the head,
meus – my, mine
calix, icis, m. chalice, cup, goblet, drinking-vessel.
inebrio, avi, atum, are, to inebriate, intoxicate; fill up, saturate with, refresh as with drink, to water, drench, moisten.
quam how, how much, as, than
praeclarus, a, um, splendid, glorious; goodly, pleasant.
est – it is

Now try and break down the endings of the words to obtain a phrase by phrase translation.  A good way to tackle any translation is to first find the verb, and then find it's subject:

Impinguasti in oleo caput meum

Impinguásti =you have anointed

So the subject of the phrase is 'you' (God); now look for the object:

caput meum= my head

Then look at any other text to see how it fits in:

in óleo =with oil

Putting it together, ‘you have anointed my head with oil’.

It is worth remembering that anointing of a guest's head was a familiar token of welcome (remember the story of the pharisee who invited Our Lord to dinner, but failed to offer this courtesy in Luke 7,46).

Moving to the next phrase: et calix meus inebrians

inébrians = inebriating/exhilarating/overflowing

et calix meus = and my (note adjective meus agreeing with the subject, calix) chalice/cup

Finally:

quam præclárus est! = how splendid/good (adjective agreeing with calix) it is (3rd person present indicative of to be)

Thus, ‘and how splendid my exhilarating chalice is’.

The Douay-Rheims translates the whole verse, ‘You have anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriates me, how goodly is it!’ 

Many people will however be more familiar with Protestant translations of this verse such as RSV’s ‘Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows’, and indeed the Neo-Vulgate revises the second half of the verse to match this, making it ‘et calix meus redundat’.

**Here are some other translations for comparison purposes.

First assorted versions of the Latin, together with the Septuagint:

7	V	Impinguásti in óleo caput meum: * et calix meus inébrians quam præclárus est!
	Old Roman	inpinguasti in oleo caput meum et poculum tuum inebrians quam praeclarum est
	NV	impinguasti in oleo caput meum, et calix meus redundat.
	JH	inpinguasti oleo caput meum; calix meus inebrians.
		τὴν κεφαλήν μου καὶ τὸ ποτήριόν σου μεθύσκον ὡς κράτιστον

Note that the phrase 'quam praeclarus est' is missing from St Jerome's translation from the Hebrew.  The omission is particularly reflected in the RSV:

Douai Rheims	You have anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriates me, how goodly is it!
Brenton from the Septuagint	thou hast thoroughly anointed my head with oil; and thy cup cheers me like the best wine.
Monastic Diurnal	Thou annointest my head with oil, and my brimming cup – how goodly it is!
RSV	thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Coverdale	thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
Knox	richly thou dost anoint my head with oil, well filled my cup.
Grail	My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing.

Penetrating the meaning

**Cassiodorus provides this commentary on the verse:

Thou hast anointed my head with oil. The eighth act of generosity is defined. The head of the faithful is the Lord Christ, rightly described as anointed with oil since He does not dry up through the aridity of the sinner. So he claims that his Head has been anointed with oil, doubtless so that the other limbs can take joy from this. But why is it that this kind of sacred blessing is often applied in anointing prophets and consecrating kings? It is rightly done, for the olive also afforded a sign of peace, a gift acknowledged to be especially divine. The juice of the olive is the oil of gladness and the favour of great distinctions, and its foliage continues in the beauty of its greenness. It was the olive which announced to Noah by means of the dove that salvation was restored to the earth,' so that it rightly seems able to bestow so great a blessing since it enjoys both great beauty and usefulness in its fruit. As another psalm says of it: Therefore God, my God, hath anointed thee with the oil of exultation above thy fellows. 

And thy cup -which inebriateth me, how goodly it is! The ninth gift is the Lord's blood, which inebriates in such a way that it cleanses the mind, preventing it from wrongdoing, not leading it to sins. This drunkenness makes us sober, this fullness purges us of evils. He who is not filled with this cup fasts in perennial need. The word is found also in the bad sense, as in Isaiah: And I have received from thy hand the chalice of destruction, the cup of anger and my wrath. He added: How goodly it is!, especially as He bestows such gifts to lead us to heaven. The gospel says of this cup: Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give shall not thirst for ever, but it shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into life everlasting.

**

Pope Benedict XVI comments on this verse that:

“Lastly, the cup overflowing with its exquisite wine, shared with superabundant generosity, adds a note of festivity. Food, oil and wine are gifts that bring life and give joy, because they go beyond what is strictly necessary and express the free giving and abundance of love. Psalm 104[103] proclaims: “You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread to strengthen man’s heart” (vv. 14-15).”

Anointing with oil and an overflowing chalice has obvious sacramental allusions as well, important in the context of the Office of the Dead.

Tomorrow, the next verse, on God's goodness and mercy.

Psalm 22: Latin Study Hints Part B

For those trying to build up their Latin, some more notes to help you, on the Psalm 22.

Vocab building

Remember that the more times you see a word with some cue as to its meaning, the more likely you are to remember it. 

First some very, very frequent words that you have already come across and need to learn by heart if you don’t know them already:

dominus, i, m. a master, lord, ruler, owner, possessor
et and
est – he/she/it is
me me

Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me;
impinguasti in oleo caput meum :
et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!
Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ;
et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.

Secondly, some revision of words you may remember from Psalm 3:

Dómine quid multiplicáti sunt qui tríbulant (they afflict/oppress/harrass) me? * multi insúrgunt advérsum (against) me.
Tu autem, Dómine, suscéptor meus es, * glória mea, et exáltans caput (head) meum.

Watch out for them again in Psalm 22:

Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me;
impinguasti in oleo caput meum

And now, to highlight a few new, very frequently used words that occur in the second half of Psalm 22 and are well worth learning thoroughly:

mensa, ae, f., a table.
misericordia, ae,f mercy, kindness, favor, compassion, loving-kindness.
vita, ae, f , life, esp. a happy life
oleum, ii, n. oil, esp., olive-oil
calix, icis, m. chalice, cup, goblet, drinking-vessel
domus, us, f. a house, structure; abode, dwelling place; Temple; a race, people, nation; the priesthood
dies, ei, m. and fem, a day,
paro, avi, atum, are, to prepare, make ready, furnish, equip, fit out, provide, make firm, establish

Grammar

Finally, Simplicissimus Unit 4, which is where you will be up to if you took up my suggestion of reading a unit a week, looks at adjectives and substantives (adjectives used as nouns), so have a go at finding the main ones used in Psalm 22.

By way of a little help:

meus –a -um – my, mine
tuus a um your (singular)
omnis, e, all, each, every; subst., all men, all things, everything
praeclarus, a, um, splendid, glorious; goodly, pleasant.
malus, a, um, adj., bad, evil, wicked; grievous, sore, severe; as a substantive:malum, i, n., evil, sin; woe, harm, misfortune.

Psalmus David.
Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit. Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam meam convertit. Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum. Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es. Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt. Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me; impinguasti in oleo caput meum : et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est! Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ; et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.