I’ve been comparing two metrical paraphrases of Psalm 19.1-4, one by the poet and writer Joseph Addison, and one by the poet and hymnodist Isaac Watts. It’s instructive to see how two different hymnodists handle the exact same subject.<\/p>\n
First, they use two different meters: Addison’s version is in Long Meter Doubled (L.M.D.) which is somewhat easier to find a tune for, while Watts’ version is in 8.8.8.8.8.8. Second, both take liberties with the original text, adding imagery, emphasizing and de-emphasizing what appeals to them. Third, they reflect different theological stances: Watts begins with the straightforward phrase “Great God,” while Addison prefers to use more oblique references like the “great Original”, “Hand” and “Creator”, and Addison also refers to “Reason” which since it is capitalized is personified. Fourth, Watts’ hymn directly addresses God, while Addison’s hymn speaks about God and God’s works. Fifth, while both are enjoyable hymns to sing (considered in terms of the rhymes, rhythms which aren’t too herky-kerky, “mouth-feel”, etc.) Watts’ verse is sturdy, bold, and tends towards the ecstatic; Addison’s verse is more nuanced, lower-key, and feels more subtle. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, both hymns are worthy of being called poetry — I don’t cringe when I sing them, and they’re worth singing more than once.<\/p>\n
This kind of comparison is helpful for those of us who want to think about how to evaluate new hymns written by religious liberals hymnodists — and\/or for those who may want to take a stab at writing new liberal religious hymns. Not that we should imitate Addison or Watts (although that may be a good idea), but we should start thinking about articulating criteria about what makes a good or poor hymn text.<\/p>\n
I’ll include the full text of both hymns, plus the text from the King James Bible from which the hymns were drawn, after the jump. Update: I’ve added the Scottish Psalter’s metrical paraphrase of this same text at the very end of this post.<\/em> <\/p>\n Joseph Addison’s paraphrase may be found in both the 1993 Unitarian Universalist hymnal Singing the Living Tradition<\/em> and in (#283, with alterations noted in brackets) Oxford Book of English Verse<\/em> ed. by Arthur Quiller-Crouch:<\/p>\n Hymn<\/p>\n The spacious firmament on high, Soon as the evening shades prevail, What though in solemn silence all Here, by contrast, is Isaac Watts’ metrical paraphrase of the same passage from Psalm 19:<\/p>\n Psalm 19:4. 1 Great God, the heaven’s well-order’d frame 2 From night to day, from day to night, 3 Yet their divine instructions run 4 Where’er he spreads his beams abroad, And here is how the opening of Psalm 19 reads in the King James Version of the Bible:<\/p>\n To the leader. A Psalm of David. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, Update: Here’s the metrical paraphrase from the Scottish Psalter for the sake of comparison.<\/em><\/p>\n 1 The heav’ns God’s glory do declare, I’ve been comparing two metrical paraphrases of Psalm 19.1-4, one by the poet and writer Joseph Addison, and one by the poet and hymnodist Isaac Watts. It’s instructive to see how two different hymnodists handle the exact same subject. First, they use two different meters: Addison’s version is in Long Meter Doubled (L.M.D.) which is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,42],"tags":[595,594],"class_list":["post-7653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-culture","category-engaging-worship","tag-isaac-watts","tag-joseph-addison"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7653"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8192,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7653\/revisions\/8192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nWith all the blue ethereal sky,
\nAnd spangled heavens, a shining frame,
\nTheir great Original proclaim.
\nTh’ unwearied Sun from day to day
\nDoes his* Creator’s power display; [“its” in SLT]
\nAnd publishes to every land
\nThe work of an Almighty hand.<\/p>\n
\nThe Moon takes up the wondrous tale;
\nAnd nightly to the listening Earth
\nRepeats the story of her* birth: [“its” in SLT]
\nWhilst all the stars that round her* burn, [“it” in SLT]
\nAnd all the planets in their turn,
\nConfirm the tidings as they roll,
\nAnd spread the truth from pole to pole.<\/p>\n
\nMove round the dark terrestrial ball;
\nWhat though nor real voice nor sound
\nAmidst their radiant orbs be found?
\nIn Reason’s* ear they all rejoice, [not capitalized in SLT]
\nAnd utter forth a glorious voice;
\nFor ever singing as they shine,
\n“The Hand that made us is divine.”<\/p>\n
\nThe book of nature and scripture.<\/p>\n
\nDeclares the glories of thy name;
\nThere thy rich works of wonder shine:
\nA thousand starry beauties there,
\nA thousand radiant marks appear
\nOf boundless power and skill divine.<\/p>\n
\nThe dawning and the dying light
\nLectures of heavenly wisdom read;
\nWith silent eloquence they raise
\nOur thoughts to our Creator’s praise,
\nAnd neither sound nor language need.<\/p>\n
\nFar as the journies of the sun,
\nAnd every nation knows their voice;
\nThe sun, like some young bridegroom drest,
\nBreaks from the chambers of the east,
\nRolls round, and makes the earth rejoice.<\/p>\n
\nHe smiles and speaks his maker God;
\nAll nature joins to shew thy praise:
\nThus God, in every creature shines;
\nFair is the book of nature’s lines,
\nBut fairer is thy book of grace.<\/p>\n
\nThe heavens are telling the glory of God;
\n and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
\nDay to day pours forth speech,
\n and night to night declares knowledge.
\nThere is no speech, nor are there words;
\n their voice is not heard;
\nyet their voice goes out through all the earth,
\n and their words to the end of the world. <\/p>\n
\nwhich comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
\n and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
\nIts rising is from the end of the heavens,
\n and its circuit to the end of them;
\n and nothing is hidden from its heat. <\/p>\n
\nthe skies his hand-works preach :
\n2 Day utters speech to day, and night
\nto night doth knowledge teach.
\n3 There is no speech nor tongue to which
\ntheir voice doth not extend:
\n4 Their line is gone through all the earth,
\ntheir words to the world’s end.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"