14 May 2021

De Nieuwe Psalmberijming

Last month a new Dutch versification of the Psalms was published: De Nieuwe Psalmberijming. As far as I know, there have been four major Dutch metrical psalters over the centuries: (1) that of Pieter Datheen of 1566; (2) the Statenberijming of 1773; (3) the Niewe Berijming of the Interkerkelijke Stichting voor de Psalmberijming [Interchurch Foundation for Psalm Versification] of 1968; and now (4) De Nieuwe Psalmberijming of 2021, produced by the Stichting Dicht bij de Bijbel [Close to the Bible Foundation].

Naturally languages change over time, and idioms once understood by earlier generations fall out of use and are replaced by others. Hence the translation of the Bible and other liturgical texts is a constant need for each generation. At times languages change quickly, as English did from the time of Chaucer in the 14th century to the 16th century when the first "modern" translations of the Bible were produced. At other times languages change incrementally, and liturgical texts may play a role in stabilizing them for many centuries, as did the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer.

Here is an explanation from the website in Google translation:

The New Psalm Rhyming contains a new, contemporary rhyme of all 150 psalms to the Geneva melodies.

Since 2014, a group of poets has been working on a new, contemporary rhyming of all 150 psalms. With this new wording, they meet a great need in Protestant churches. Nine poets contributed to De Nieuwe Psalmberijming. In addition, a number of (other) poets, theologians, Dutch scholars and musicians cooperated as co-readers and revisers. All psalms are printed with their Geneva melody. This new rhyming of the psalms will give a new impulse to the singing of psalms.

De Nieuwe Psalmberijming is an initiative of the Close to the Bible Foundation. The authors are: Jan Pieter Kuijper, Arie Maasland, Adriaan Molenaar, Bob Vuijk, Arjen Vreugdenhil, Titia Lindeboom, Jan Boom, Ria Borkent and René Barkema.

Bound copies of De Nieuwe Psalmberijming are available online, with free shipping within the Netherlands, but not, I assume, elsewhere.

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