Psalm 1 [Lectionary Translation]
1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord, *
and they meditate on his law day and night.
3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *
everything they do shall prosper.
4 It is not so with the wicked; *
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *
nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, *
but the way of the wicked is doomed.
PSALM 1
“JOYFUL YOU WALK”
The Book of Psalms, a priceless literary treasure of sacred song, prayer and reflection, is nearly three thousand years old. The ancient Hebrew text remains open, flexible, multi-valent and rich, in spite of its age and the immeasurable changes that have occurred in human religious experience. Our translations of the Psalms, however, are, by comparison, brittle and poor. Those of us who grew up reciting them still hold our versions dear, but the negative impacts of flawed translations become heavier with time. As the human family grapples with acute environmental crisis and uncertainty, social justice challenges, global pandemics, and questions of identity and dignity, the Book of Psalms is more needed than ever as a source of holy inspiration. Sadly, at this very moment in history, our available versions - as worthy as they may be – often simply cannot speak directly to the heart and soul of our condition. If we do not learn to read the Psalms anew, we risk losing them to the past.
Psalm 1 sets the tone for the entire collection we call the Psalter. It is a Wisdom Song, and highlights themes of the Wisdom tradition. These themes are often translated as “the law of the LORD” and “the way of the righteous,” contrasted with “the counsel of the wicked” and “the way of sinners.” These binary and dualistic “framings” are so familiar, that we hardly notice when they cease to be meaningful in our real-life spirituality. Such phrases – as traditional as they are – can belie the truth of Wisdom’s voice. The Way of Wisdom should not be trivialized by “stock” translations.
Is it possible to render both the textual word-sense and the textural inner meaning of the Psalms into English (or any modern language)? Can we render poetically, in a way that invites wonder and questioning, rather than religious judgement and self-righteousness? Is there, for instance, a way to understand Psalm 1 as an invitation to walk an inner pathway to knowledge and goodness, rather than to gloat about “righteous” victories over externalized “evil” enemies? Is it possible for this psalm to be addressed to each of us personally, rather than obliquely describing some ‘ashrei ha-‘ish (“happy person”) – a generic paragon of virtue? These questions, I know, raise complex textual, moral and theological issues - but I believe the answer is ‘Yes!’
With each journey into the ancient Hebrew of the Psalms, we are humbled by what we will never fully understand. Still, we can learn to read our own true spiritual experience in and through these ancient lines. Then, there will be hope, that the Psalms will remain a sacred guide for us and our communities, toward a future that is both dark with storm clouds and bright with sunrise.
PSALM 1
“Joyful You Walk”
Joyful you walk, and do not leave a trace along your path.
You keep your feet from the violent road -
from losing their way in the miserable maze
of anger’s murky and mindless mode.
Cynics can laugh, but they cannot turn you back:
for you’ve set your heart on Wonder’s way -
dreaming of Wisdom all through the night,
and learning the teachings of Wonder by day.
Your body’s branch and the root of your heart
plunge deep and sweet in the unseen flow
of knowledge and goodness beneath the rock.
Your eyes open wide in the sun’s first glow.
The leaves and the fruit of your life are bright,
feeding with nectar the bird’s clear cry,
stretching and reaching up into the light,
weaving and forging the work of the sky.
In times of shadow, surely, you understand
that each of your joys has a darker side,
strafed by storms that leave nothing whole.
There - but for Wonder - our sad world hides,
caught in the coils of a wandering rage,
stumbling, crying, unable to stand,
unwilling to walk in the knowledge of ‘Yes!’
that may still save our hearts from despair in this age.
[Rendered from the Hebrew by Henry Ralph Carse;
Copyright 2021 by Henry Ralph Carse]
Henry Ralph Carse May 16, 2021